Never a dull moment
by A-Karana
Summary: It started with two friends helping each other and became so much more... Set mid-season 4.
1. Chapter 1

**Thanks to my two betas Melissa and Kim for working with me on this story!**

**That you get an idea to what extend these chapters are discussed with my two beta-readers, I'll give you an example. Oh, and if anyone can make sense of the problem we're discussing, please do!**

**M:** Is that how it works? Also, was she a doctor? I know she was a cop and a coroner...but I don't recall her being a medical doctor. Of course, I could also have a terrible memory. And it occurs to me that you might have to be a doctor to be a coroner, but again...it's one of those things I don't know. You did just rewatch these episodes, didn't you? Anyway, just thought I should comment regardless.

**J:** That is where I might mix up Fanfiction with the show. I just know that somewhere someone mentioned that as a coroner you are a real doctor and that license obviously needs to be renewed every few years in the US. So if she does that she would still have the license. And in 4.18 it was mentioned that she worked as a doctor at the hospital. That's the only way I can make sense of that. Over here those are two different things. Ok, both study medicine but really early in the studies they learn different things and you can either be a doctor or a coroner. I'll check what google has to say… Here it says that in the US: "Many jurisdictions have replaced the elected coroner with a Medical Examiner (often referred to by the initials "M.E."), who must be a physician, and is most often a specialist in pathology or forensic medicine. In some jurisdictions, a medical examiner must be both a doctor and a lawyer. The medical examiner is most often an appointed official. This has been part of a move toward professionalizing a job increasingly involved with advanced scientific techniques. In larger cities (for instance, New York City) and more populous counties, the post may be that of "chief medical examiner", heading an office with M.E.s and deputy M.E.s on staff to handle individual cases." So I think it could work that she still has her license

**M:** Okay, well that sounds reasonable then. The only question I would have about this, then, is that I've always been under the impression that she **only** worked as a cop and a coroner. So while she technically could have worked as a physician, I don't know that there's evidence that she has. HOWEVER – that being said – we don't really know a heck of a lot about Cam's past to begin with, so if it's never been expressly clarified, then I say you can run with it :).

**J:** I know what you mean and to be honest I think she needs to be at least 60 to be able to have done all the jobs they gave her. In the beginning she informs Brennan and Hodgins that she worked for 2 years as head(chief?) coroner in New York and before that only as coroner. Then Booth mentions that she was a cop once and in epi 4.18 they say that she worked as a doctor in the hospital, together with Andrew Welton. I have NO idea how to make sense of that because she can't be older than 40 on the show. It's a bit of a headscratcher...Honest answer: I don't know and will shamelessly use this the way I need it ;)

**K:** I'm pretty sure in Doctor in the Den Booth said she was a doctor at the hospital where she worked with Andrew.

* * *

_**This is set after episode 4.18 **_

**Chapter 1: ****Grounding the boys**

With the folder that contained the results in his hands he entered her office without knocking, knowing that if she wanted to be left alone she always closed the door. The door was open though so he just entered but stopped when he saw that she was talking very animatedly on the phone while sitting halfway on her desk. He saw that her black pumps were sitting next to her desk and she dangled her bare feet back and forth, showing off her black painted toe nails that had some glitter on them. He decided that he could just come back later, after all the results weren't that important- the guy was dead for 60 years now so what was a few minutes more without Cam knowing about the particulates he had found on the guy's clothes?

She saw him though and waved, signaling that he should come in. Quietly he walked over to her desk and sat down in her chair, knowing that if she had any objection she would tell him, just as she always did. She merely raised an eyebrow and he took that as a good sign and started to play with the back of her chair, seeing how far he could lean back. She stopped him by placing a hand on the chair and giving him a stern look before she returned her concentration to her phone call.

"So what now? You want me to do it all by myself? Sir, I have a twelve hour day at work and then you want me to empty a whole house by myself? Yes, I know that there are other companies, but over the years I have tested them all and I don't want anyone else in that house. If anything breaks my daughter will kill me," she said frustrated and Hodgins gave her a questioning look at which she only rolled her eyes. "Yes, ok, I will keep that in mind. The next time someone dies I will ask your permission first," she said angrily. "God damn it," she cursed when she slammed the speaker back on the cradle before she took a deep breath and turned around to face him fully. "Yes, Hodgins?" she asked, trying to appear calm and relaxed but he could see that she was far from it.

"I have identified the particulates from John Doe 399-1. Nothing spectacular though. I just thought you'd like to know," he explained and handed her the folder with the reports.

"Thank you," she said and placed the folder on her desk without even looking at it, which wasn't like her and didn't go unnoticed by her colleague.

"You're ok?" he asked her.

"Yeah, sure, just a bit annoyed," she admitted, slid off the desk and put on her shoes again.

"Anything I can do?" he asked with a smile that was both friendly and suggestive, a typical Hodgins smile.

"If you don't have a moving truck and about twenty strong men at your disposal I doubt that there's something you can do, but I appreciate the offer," she smiled tiredly.

"Then there apparently is something I can do. The Cantilever group has its own moving company, which means that I have my own moving company. When do you need us?" he asked grinning and stood up.

"Uhm… this weekend?" Cam said totally surprised.

"Ok, done deal. Send me the details via email," he grinned smugly and walked to the door. "And black toe nails Dr. Saroyan?" he asked when he turned back around in the doorway.

"Michelle told me it's totally "in" now and insisted. I didn't have a choice," she explained with a smile.

"Oh the joys of parenthood," he laughed and left her office to get back to work.

~*~

Hodgins stopped his truck in front of the house number Cam had given him. He knew that this wasn't where she lived but rather Andrew's old house. The moving truck with the helpers parked behind him and he got out of his car and made his way up to the house. He knocked two times and waited until he heard Cam's voice from inside.

"Come inside, it's open," she yelled and once again he did as she told him. He walked in and found himself directly in the living room. The place was packed with boxes and when he lurked around the corner he found Cam crouching on the floor in front of another box which she tried to seal with duct tape but had no success because the box was too full. He did a double take when he saw her because he had never seen her in anything else than business clothes. This time she wore blue jeans, a simple black shirt and sneakers. Even her hair wasn't as perfectly done as he was used to; it was simply wrapped in a sloppy pony tail.

"Hey good morning, Hodgins," she grinned and tried once again to close the box.

"Morning Dr. Saroyan. I think I can help you with that," he replied and leaned with both arms on the box to hold it closed.

"Thanks. And now that we're out of the lab it's Cam," she told him, sealed the box and stood up. It was weird for both of them to be together outside of the lab, which they both knew was stupid, because they always spent so much time together _in_ the lab. Brennan was always with Booth and since Angela's and Hodgins' breakup he couldn't go to her either. So whenever he needed someone to talk to or someone to spend his break with he usually went to Cam. Another thing that made it easy for both of them to hang out was that they were each other's boss. While Cam was his boss by definition he was her boss because he donated all that money to the Jeffersonian. Strictly he paid his own paycheck, which was so confusing that he didn't want to think about it. He had once said that he didn't want to be anyone's boss and he still stood by that however it made Cam less scary being in his position.

"Ok, Cam, then where's Michelle?" he asked and put his hands in the back pockets of his jeans while he rocked back and forth on his feet.

"Oh so that's why you're here, you're just curious," Cam laughed and turned to a bookshelf that was still filled with books and photographs.

"You didn't honestly think that I was here to help? I'm a scientist I need to gather information," he replied and unfolded another box so he could put it together.

"Michelle is upstairs packing her personal things," she explained then.

"Everything else is done?"

"No, there's still Andrew's bedroom. I don't want Michelle to pack those things because I am scared what she might find and I can't bring myself to go in there, even after all these years," she sighed.

"If you want I can pack his things. I mean, I did not know him and I'm a guy," he said sheepishly.

"I'd like that," she replied and looked relieved.

"I'll just go outside and tell the guys that they can already put all those boxes in the truck. Any furniture?" he asked.

"All of it. Michelle doesn't want to give anything away. I guess I have to put it in my basement until I find a storage space to rent. But the house needs to be empty after today, the new owners are moving in tomorrow," she replied.

"I know I have to find another reason to justify that offer, but if you want you can put the furniture into one of my garages. Zack's stuff is still in there as well, so one more set of furniture more or less…" he trailed off.

"Thank you Hodgins," Cam replied emphatically and threw the first few books into the box.

"I'll be just a second," he said and made his way outside. When he came back with the guys in tow the formerly empty box was now filled with books and Cam stood next to it, a picture in her hand and a sad expression on her face.

"Cam, anything they need to know?" he asked her and she slowly looked up.

"Uhm…" she cleared her voice, "just don't break anything," she said in an attempt to joke. When the men made their way to the kitchen, she and Hodgins were alone once again. She held the picture out to him and he took it from her.

"Fell out of one of the books," she said while Hodgins looked at the picture that showed Cam and Andrew at some kind of party.

"Nice picture," he said simply because he did not know what else to say.

"What's a nice picture?" a voice suddenly came from the stairs and a second later Michelle came around the corner.

"Michelle, meet Dr. Jack Hodgins. Hodgins, that's Michelle," Cam introduced them and they exchanged a somewhat awkward handshake before Michelle took the picture from Hodgins.

"Where was it?" she asked Cam while still looking at the photo.

"It fell out of one of the books," she replied.

"I bet dad stuck it in there because he knew I never looked into his medical books. That's my favorite picture of you two and I used to have it up in my room. One day it was gone and I thought I had lost it," she said and her eyes filled with tears. "I miss him so much," she sniffed and the first tears fell.

"Oh honey," Cam said and wrapped her arms around the girl and held her. Hodgins was wrapped up in awkwardness once again. For one he had never heard his boss use any term of endearment with anyone and then he couldn't stand crying women.

"I'll be, uhm, upstairs, you know… packing," he told Cam and pointed towards the stairs.

"Ok," she replied without looking at him and placed a kiss on her daughter's hair.

~*~

"And then these two idiots blew up the head because they thought we could get a face like that," Cam said while she took another bite of her veggie pizza. It had taken Michelle and Hodgins an eternity to get her to eat pizza and not salad and finally Hodgins had convinced her with a statistic on how many calories an average salad dressing had.

"Ok, that is disgusting," Michelle said but laughed as well. Hodgins had started to talk about another experiment he was planning and because of that Cam had started to tell Michelle about Hodgins infamous experiments.

"It was worth a try, right? It might have worked," he tried to defend himself but had to laugh as well.

"Oh no, it couldn't," Cam shook her head.

"Did we ever tell you about the time when Zack and I fed a frozen pig through a wood-chipper?" he asked Cam excitedly.

"Oh my god…. Hello, we're eating lunch here," Michelle groaned and threw her piece of pizza back in the box.

"Why would you two do that?" Cam asked though and that was Hodgins' signal to start his tale.

"We had been working on this case where we had found shards of bones on a golf course. There had been a plane crash and during the investigation we suddenly found these bones. Because the people on the plane had been some important Chinese guys Goodman told us to investigate those bodies only and do the fragments later. Brennan wasn't ok with that and so we secretly looked into those bones fragments. Zack and Brennan found out that the guy had been frozen and fed through a wood-chipper, Booth got us the only wood-chipper big enough in the area and we needed something to compare the pattern. Alas we fed the pig through the wood-chipper," Hodgins said proudly.

"That sounds just like you two. I bet you made a big show out of it," Cam said and watched Michelle who had started to eat again.

"Only problem was that Goodman arrived that moment and boy was he pissed," he finished, laughing at the memory.

"You weren't working at the Jeffersonian back then?" Michelle asked Camille.

"No, I started working there only two years ago. I worked as a coroner in New York before that," Cam explained.

"But you were a doctor before right? I remember that you and dad always told me that you were going to the hospital. Or did you just say that while you actually worked at the morgue?" Michelle wanted to know.

"No, I really worked at the hospital, that's where Andrew and I met. I could still work as a doctor if I wanted to, I still have the license," she replied and took a sip of water.

"Why don't you?" Hodgins asked curiously.

"Well, after Andrew and I broke up I knew that I couldn't work with him anymore and so I went looking for a new job. A friend of mine told me that there was an open post as a coroner in New York so I took it and moved back to New York. And experience shows that I am a better coroner than doctor," Cam finished with a smile and raised her eyebrows.

"So what is your job Dr. Hodgins?" Michelle wanted to know. It was the first time she directly addressed him. They had worked in uncomfortable silence the whole time and she was giving him kind of weird looks he wasn't able to place.

"I am the bugs and slime guy at the lab," he replied.

"Bugs and slime?" she asked and wanted clarification.

"I am an entomologist, amongst other things. I identify insects or any kind of particulates and use the data to tell time of death or place of death, for example," he said and felt somewhat relieved that the teen was finally talking to him, not that it mattered.

"So there's you and Cam and … who else is working at the Jeffersonian?" her investigation went on further.

"Then there's Dr. Brennan, the forensic anthropologist and Angela, she's doing facial reconstructions and everything that has to do with computers. And agent Booth from the FBI as well as several interns," he informed her.

"If Booth knew that you just added him to the squint squad he would shoot you," Cam laughed and Hodgins joined her.

"Well, he doesn't need to know, right?" he said somewhat flirtatiously

"What's the squint squad?" Michelle interrupted the look that crossed between them.

"We are. It's Booth's name for the people working at the Jeffersonian because we squint at things," Cam said and closed her nearly empty pizza box.

"And all of you worked on my dad's case? What did you do, Dr. Hodgins?" Michelle asked and Hodgins identified the question as a challenge. He looked at Cam who looked just as lost as he did. He did not know what to say because he didn't really want to give the teen all the gruesome details of her father's body.

"Well, I was able to tell that the murderer of your father had something with her that was made out of snake skin. And that whoever attacked him tried to save him," he said without giving much detail.

"How can you tell that from bugs and slime?" she asked but before Hodgins could talk about tiger urine, a shoe lace that had been imbedded in the lung and particulates in the wounds Cam jumped in.

"Honey, I already told you everything you need to know about your father's case. Let's just say that Dr. Hodgins was very helpful in finding out that Nancy killed your dad, ok? Now we should pack those last boxes and then move everything over to my place," she ended the questioning and Hodgins breathed out in relief

"Ok, I'm gonna get rid of these pizza boxes and then help the guys carry the stuff outside," he said and hurried off with the trash.

"Is he your boyfriend? You keep giving each other these looks," Michelle asked in a snotty tone as soon as Hodgins was out of sight.

"No, he is not. He is a colleague who was friendly enough to offer his help with this mess here, so I don't appreciate your attitude. And even if he was, Michelle, I don't think that would justify your behavior. I was your dad's fiancée years ago and I know that he didn't stay alone after we broke up and neither did I or will I, ok?" Cam said in a tone that was only too familiar to her co-workers. It was her "I'll take New York action if you don't do what I say- tone" and Michelle looked taken aback at first but didn't dare to go on.

"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly instead and got up to pack the rest of her things. Cam sighed deeply when her daughter walked up the stairs and decided that she needed some kind of stress relief or her head would explode. This moving operation combined with a petulant teenager was just too much. She walked through the kitchen and picked up her handbag then walked out on the patio and leaned against the wall. She knew where she had hid her stress relievers and took the packet of cigarettes and a lighter from one of the inside pockets and lit a cigarette. Greedily she inhaled the smoke and blew it out slowly and with closed eyes.

"Hey, I didn't know you're smoking," Jack Hodgins interrupted her time of silent meditation and relaxation and she opened her eyes.

"I usually don't… I mean I'm not… I only smoke when I am stressed or extremely annoyed," she admitted.

"Well, for Michelle, the moving guys and me I honestly hope you're just stressed. It's a lot of stuff they have in this house," he said and leaned on the wall beside her.

"I'm fine, really," she said when she saw his worried look but inhaled the smoke deeply once again.

"You know, I used to smoke in my teens," he admitted.

"Really? You were a rebel, too?" she asked with a smile, threw the cigarette on the ground and grinded it.

"You might not have noticed but I still am," he grinned with raised eyebrows and she laughed out loud.

"I am aware of that Dr. Hodgins. However at the Jeffersonian you're a rebel inside the lines I drew and only there," she laughed, patted his shoulder and walked back inside.

~*~

When they reached the house where Cam's condo was Hodgins had to admit to himself that he was excited because he was curious. He had tried to picture her apartment several times the way one pictures an apartment of a colleague when he mentions it. In his head Cam's apartment looked somewhat like the Jeffersonian: Very modern, lots of chrome and steel, little color.

That was before though. Before he had come to know her better and before he had seen her in those jeans and T-shirt. For him that had been evidence that she was different in private than she was at work. He had had glimpses of that every now and then at the Jeffersonian when her tough exterior cracked and the affectionate, sincere and vulnerable woman shone through.

Now he wasn't surprised when they stepped out of the elevator into a cozy and warm penthouse that was both modern and homey and somehow just Cam. The living room had a dark wood floor with deep mahogany furniture to match. The highlight of the room was a huge red sofa that stood opposite a large flat screen TV. It made him laugh out loud because that was just so Cam.

"What?" she asked confused when she heard him laugh and set her bag down on the kitchen counter before she turned back around to face him in the living room.

"Nothing, it's just… a red couch, that is SO you," he said still chuckling.

"What is that supposed to mean, Dr. Hodgins?" she grinned and swatted his arm playfully before she turned to Michelle. "You want to arrange your stuff yourself or do you need help?" she asked her.

"I'll do it myself, at least in my new room. You have everything else covered?"

"Sure. There are empty shelves on the book shelves for yours and your dad's books, there's space for your things in the bathroom and I bought a new PC for your room. First we should let the guys set up your bed and your desk," Cam replied and Michelle nodded and leaned her head against Cam's shoulder for a moment. When she stood back up straight Cam pulled the hair-band from her hair, shook it out and then tied it back up in a pony tail, including the strands that had fallen out before.

"You should let your hair down more often, it's pretty," Michelle said and tugged playfully at Cam's hair.

"Maybe, but it sure isn't practical," Cam protested and adjusted the pony tail.

"What do you think Dr. Hodgins? What's better? Hair down or up??" Michelle asked and took Hodgins off guard. He had still been mentally occupied with the picture of Cam shaking out her long black hair and now Michelle seriously asked him to pass judgment. Was she crazy? This was a question he could only answer the wrong way and they all knew it. So he decided to be honest, just like he always was.

"Oh no, I am not answering that question because there are only wrong answers. I intend on keeping my job," he laughed it off a bit awkwardly but was relieved when he saw that Cam was laughing as well.

"We should start working, otherwise we will never be done," Cam sighed then and looked around her living room where the helpers had already started to put several boxes.

"What do you want me to do?" Hodgins asked and glanced around the room, leaning a bit forward so he could glance around the corner in another room which he identified as Cam's workroom.

"You're looking for compromising material in case I want to fire you again?" Cam grinned when she saw curiosity written all over his face.

"Sure, one can never have enough information about one's boss. It could come in handy one day," he nodded with a mischievous smile.

"You know, with a family like mine every possible compromising piece of evidence about me is locked away somewhere safer than the Gormogon vault," Cam grinned. "You want the grand tour?" she asked then.

"Sure, maybe I'll find something anyway," he agreed and followed her through the apartment.

~*~

The next Monday at work Cam tried to keep cool, but honestly the new "Chili con Carne" case together with the presence of the fact- telling Vincent Nigel-Murray was driving her crazy. This guy just couldn't shut up. She tried, she really tried to not let it get her but sometimes it was just too much. She had spent the whole weekend packing and unpacking boxes while trying to keep a moody teenager in line and now that she was back at the lab they got this complicated case and Vincent Nigel-Murray as an intern.

The only light on the horizon this weekend had been Hodgins. It had been fun having him around and after a while he even got along with Michelle which had set the stage for some funny anecdotes and serious mocking. She was grateful that he had been there, not only because he had organized everything with the moving company but also because he had kept them from mourning and weeping. Andrew was dead for barely two weeks and Michelle was still devastated. It made her sad seeing the girl she always considered to be her daughter so sad. Hodgins had been able to lighten the mood and so the moving had gone without many breakdowns or tears.

The day at the Jeffersonian had started with the new horrible case and she knew that she wouldn't be able to go home early that day as she had planned. Her frustration about that had vanished temporarily when she had witnessed Angela telling Hodgins to leave town because of her father. Of course the entomologist hadn't listened and basically just ignored his ex-girlfriend's advice. That together with her un-scientific theories about the murder had unnerved Booth which had also been some kind of entertainment. After that it had been all work, one call from her sister and one from her father both asking her how she was and how she was doing with Michelle. Their advice on how to raise a teenager had brought her frustration level back up and by noon she knew she needed a break or she would slap someone.

At noon that day she made her way outside to get the much needed relaxation in form of cigarettes. She had told Brennan once that she only smoked when stressed out, although she doubted the doctor had understood that she had been talking about herself, and she still stood by that. However since Andrew's death she was basically always stressed and was smoking more than she ever had before.

She stepped out onto the terrace of the Jeffersonian that was usually deserted and immediately lit a cigarette. This was her favorite spot because she could just relax and be Cam as opposed to the tough Dr. Saroyan she had to be all day long at the lab. She groaned when she heard the door open behind her but didn't turn around. Wasn't it possible at this damn institute to be alone for a second?

"Stressed or annoyed?" she heard a voice and turned around without hiding her cigarette. He knew already that she was smoking so no big deal. Also he wouldn't lecture her or present her with stats about how unhealthy it was.

"How about both?" she replied and turned back around to look over the Jeffersonian's garden.

"Oh wow, that bad, huh?" he asked and leaned against the railing beside her.

"Yeah, and you? Hiding up here from Angela's father?" she teased him.

"Oh come on, Angela is totally exaggerating. How bad can a sixty year old Texan be?" he asked.

"Well, despite his age he somehow is family and family can be cruel," she said with a nod.

"How did it go with Michelle yesterday?" he asked immediately.

"Ok, I guess. She spent most time online chatting with some friends and later complained about the vegetable lasagna I made for dinner," she said and blew out some smoke.

"Vegetable lasagna sounds good," he shrugged.

"She was right it was horrible. I burned it and I put too much salt into it. I am a horrible cook," she admitted.

"Who is the guy?" he asked with a smile.

"What guy?" she wanted to know and shot him a confused look.

"You know the saying that when there's too much salt in the food that the cook is in love," he grinned smugly.

"Oh please," she snorted, "that would mean that being a bad cook would be a good thing for my love life". Hodgins only raised his eyebrows challengingly and grinned when he realized that he made her blush.

"Let's get back to work, shall we?" she asked and put out her cigarette. She took some chewing gum out of her pocket and offered one to Hodgins which he took.

"Thanks. Oh and I meant to ask you: Can I borrow Nigel-Murray for a while? Brennan isn't here anyway and I could use his help," he said while he walked beside her back into the building.

"What are you planning, Dr. Hodgins?" she asked, and reverted back to using a more formal manner of addressing him, without any teasing undertone. They were back in work environment and so they needed to maintain their professionalism once more.

"Oh, just a small experiment, nothing big," he said a bit too nonchalantly and hurried off when he saw that Cam's eyebrows raised dangerously and her mouth opened to ask more questions.

~*~

She had known it. The second Hodgins had hinted that there would be an experiment she knew that this would be another disaster. She had intended to take a closer look at what he had been planning but she had seen Dr. Brennan enter his lab and had thought that she would take care of everything that was irresponsible. Now the lab was in lock down once again and Brennan had run out with Booth, leaving it to her to talk to the two delinquents.

The two had just stumbled out telling everyone that they were ok, while the smoke wavered out after them. When she came to a halt in front of them she placed her hands on her hips and noticed with satisfaction that they looked kind of scared, especially Mr. Nigel-Murray.

"You know you're grounded, right?" she asked them and they both only nodded. "What have you done this time?" she asked and looked over to the lab where glass lay all over the floor as well as parts of plastic.

"We wanted to prove that a meteorite hitting a frozen body can result in Chili con carne," Hodgins explained and pointed to the various items in the lab. With one look she knew what they had done and couldn't believe it.

"You two were actually stupid enough to fire a cannon indoors? What were you thinking? And why did Dr. Brennan approve of it?" she asked and gesticulated with her hands.

"Actually, she did not really approve of it but told us that we could get the same result mathematically," Mr. Nigel-Murray replied truthfully what earned him a nudge in the ribs from Hodgins.

"You two are not allowed in the same room anymore after you clean this mess up. Am I clear?" she asked them and again they both nodded. She turned around and walked away with a small smile on her lips and shaking her head about the amusement Hodgins had provided her once again.

~*~

When she walked past the "Bone-room", as she secretly called it, another hour later she did a double take when she saw Hodgins and Vincent Nigel-Murray in there together. She wasn't surprised that Hodgins didn't really take her seriously, but found it strange that the intern obviously ignored her orders. They were standing with their back to her looking at the screen and discussing something so they didn't notice her coming in. Secretly it amused her that Hodgins tried once again to do as he pleased because that gave her the opportunity to show him once again who the boss was. With a smile threatening to break out and a smug jaunt in her steps she walked into the room.

"What did I tell you?" she asked them, crossed her arms in front of her chest and waited for them to turn around.

"That we aren't allowed in the same room without supervision," Hodgins began slowly and a little more quietly than he usually talked and so she put her hand to her right ear, just as she would do with a little kid that needed to confess something.

"Why?" she asked in her best kindergarten teacher voice and nearly giggled when she saw Hodgins opening his mouth to say something and then close it again.

"Because we were stupid enough to fire a cannon indoors," the intern went on shyly and looked to the floor when he was done speaking.

"And?" she went on, enjoying this way too much. Hodgins was observant enough to realize that this situation was not as dangerous as it seemed to be.

"You're here which, which counts for supervision sooo," he said exchanging a look with Mr. Nigel-Murray. She only looked at him with raised eyebrows and he knew that it was maybe better to do as she told him. "I leave," he just said and hurried out of the room while she grabbed a pair of gloves to inspect what these two had done in the room. The intern explained to her what was strange about the bone shards and together they got the idea that maybe the body had been deep frozen and then dropped. She couldn't hide her smile anymore when she gave Nigel-Murray permission to confirm with Hodgins and so she turned around and left the room.

"In the same room? Just to be clear," he asked when she was already outside.

"Any damages come out of your pay," she replied and walked to her office, laughing quietly.

~*~

A few days and another unlucky Hodgins experiment later (this time he had thrown a frozen turkey from the platform and the frozen bird had hit Angela in the head) they had finally solved the case about the woman who had become Chili. She was glad that she would have more time for Michelle now. They had been apart for ten years and except for breakfast and dinner they hadn't spent much time together these past few days. It was strange living with someone else in her apartment and took some adjustment for both of them. There were still some unpacked boxes in her living room and she was looking forward to unpacking them so her home would finally look like her home again and not like some storage place.

She had declined the invitation to the celebration at the _Founder's Fathers_ and went home instead. She ate with Michelle, took a long and relaxing bubble bath and went to bed early, looking forward to a long nights sleep.

That sleep was interrupted by her beeping cell phone at three in the morning. Disoriented at first she looked around the room and groaned when she saw what time it was. Who was calling her at that time of the night? There was no way in hell she would go back to work now, no matter what emergency.

"Yah?" she mumbled when she saw "unidentified number" on her display.

"Cam, it's me, Hodgins," she heard the familiar voice of her co-worker.

"What? I am not going to the lab now. No way," she grumbled.

"Can you please pick me up at the airport?" he asked and she noticed a frantic undertone in his voice.

"What are you doing at the airport?" she asked and sat up.

"I just got back from Texas," he said.

"What were you doing in Texas?" she asked already tired of this game.

"I don't know, ok? I don't know. I don't know how I got there or what I did there, I only know that I woke up in the middle of nowhere with a huge tattoo on my left upper arm saying "Angela forever"," he said and got more and more upset.

"Oh boy. The father?" Cam asked and couldn't suppress a giggle.

"Don't laugh at me, ok? You owe me! So please come and pick me up," he said in a tone that sounded strangely like whining.

"Ok, Hodgins calm down. I'll be there in half an hour and after that we're even," she said. She hung up with a huge smile on her face and suddenly didn't care anymore what time it was. One could say anything they wanted about Hodgins, but he was never boring. And boy, would that tattoo provide teasing material for the next ten years at least.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Big "Thank you" again to Melissa and Kim who are converting this story into something that is actually readable.**

**Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter. They made me really happy. I enjoy writing this story so much and it's nice to know that there are people out there reading it who enjoy it as well.

* * *

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_This chapter contains dialogue from episode 4.19_

**Chapter 2: Buddies with breasts**

When Cam arrived at the Washington DC airport she found a rather disheveled looking Hodgins in the arrival terminal. He sat on a bench and looked like a lost little boy, only dirtier and more sunburned. His left sleeve was missing, his clothes stained and his face and arm red. He had some kind of bandage loosely attached to his left upper arm and the right edge of it already hung off. Cam knew that one needed a sterile bandage after one got a tattoo and what he had didn't look very healthy. She knew that she had to disinfect the tattoo and put a new bandage on it as soon as possible. He hadn't seen her yet because he was leaning with his forearms on his thighs and his head was hanging down, his eyes fixated on his shoes. He nearly looked lost enough not to mock him- but just nearly.

"Hey Hodge-podge back from the great adventure?" she greeted him with a huge, teasing smile and came to a stop in front of him. Slowly he lifted his head and raised his eyes to look at her. She could see that they were bloodshot and he had dark circles under them.

"Can you please just drive me home?" he asked tiredly and slowly got up.

"Sure thing, dog," she replied and couldn't keep herself from humming the Bounty Hunter melody which made him stare at her.

"Don't make me hurt you," he said slowly, trying to sound dangerous. Cam decided that for now she had had enough fun and she could mock him some more later.

He sat down in the passenger's seat of her BMW and didn't say more than the directions he gave her to his home and kept staring out the side window the whole time. When they reached the gate he told her the security code without thinking about it and she drove up the long gravel driveway to the main house. She had heard from Zack and Angela that there was a tennis court, a swimming pool and a park like garden with a pond but seeing it lit up in the middle of the night was clearly different and more impressive.

"Nice house," she said when they reached it and he just groaned in reply. She parked the car and waited for him to get out but he didn't move. The silence between them stretched but she wasn't sure why so she kept silent.

"Thanks Cam for picking me up. I should have just called a taxi, I know, but I wasn't thinking clearly… sorry that I woke you up," he said finally and turned his head to look at her.

"It's ok, really. Do you have some bandages here? We need to change that before you get an infection," she replied and pointed to his upper arm.

"I think so," he said and opened the door which she took as a sign to follow him. It took him a while to get his key out of his jeans pocket and the he unlocked the door and held it open for her. The interior matched the exterior with expensive furniture, chandeliers and an entry hall that was probably as big as her whole condo. She looked around his place, turning once while he watched her. He knew how people reacted when they came to his house for the first time and so far she was keeping her cool. "You want a tour?" he repeated her words from a week before and she had to laugh.

"I'd love to but I think you should get cleaned up first so I can change the bandage," she smiled and he nodded and looked down on himself taking in the dirty jeans and sweat soaked shirt.

"Ok, I'll go take a shower. The kitchen is over there, I am sure you will find something to drink there and the living room with the TV is over here so feel at home. You can snoop around anywhere you want," he told her with a conspiratorial wink and made his way up the stairs.

Cam wandered through the house and realized that she had to pass through the dining room to get into the kitchen and from there she had to pass through a room with a billiard table and another game room to reach the living room. She sat down on the comfortable black leather couch and switched the TV on with the remote control. It was four in the morning so she didn't have much choice. She picked re-runs of old black and white cartoons and slipped her heels off.

Hodgins found her twenty minutes later with her feet propped up on the couch beside her, her head leaning against the back of the couch, a bottle of beer in her right hand and her eyes closed. She wasn't asleep though and opened her eyes when she heard him enter the living room. He had changed into wide grey sweats and an olive green T-shirt and smelled like a freshly showered man.

"Now you have the color of a lobster," she teased him when he sat down beside her.

"I'm not sure how long I was lying in the desert," he replied. "I don't think I've ever been that sunburned. It hurts even more than the tattoo," he complained.

"That's the emergency kit?" she asked and pointed to the black box he held in hands.

"Yeah. I'm not sure how old it is though," he admitted.

"Let me see," she said and took it from him. She opened it and found several sterile bandages and even some anti-septic. "Ok, show me," she told him then and couldn't hide the teasing mischief in her eyes. Grumbling he rolled up his T-shirt sleeve and she ripped off the old bandage. She tried, she really tried not to laugh when she saw the tattoo but she wasn't successful and burst out laughing, then caught herself and laughed more quietly, which didn't make it any better for him.

"How did that happen?" she asked when she was able to speak again and was still staring at the tattoo.

"I have no idea. I remember that Angela's father was waiting by my car when I wanted to drive home after work and then- nothing. Everything else is a blur until I woke up in the middle of nowhere, looking like a roasted lobster and had this tattoo on my arm. I was lucky when a guy drove by with his truck and took me to the next city. At least Angela's dad was kind enough to leave me my wallet and cell phone," he said and winced when she applied to anti-septic to the fresh tattoo. Carefully she applied the red fluid and then cut the bandages and taped them to his arm.

"There, all done," she said and gave his forearm a squeeze, momentarily forgetting his sunburns, and made him wince. "Oh my god, I'm sorry," she apologized and wanted to take her hand away. He caught it with his own and held it gently.

"It's ok. Thank you Cam, really," he said quietly and she couldn't help but notice once again what incredible eyes he had. The light blue combined with those long lashes was nearly too beautiful for a man. Men shouldn't have eyelashes like that, it just wasn't fair. He looked her in the eyes and couldn't tear his gaze away from her. It was only now that he realized that her hair was wrapped up in a messy bun and she wore no make- up. He had never seen her without make up and still he was sure that she was more beautiful right that moment than ever before.

"We should do something about that sunburn," she whispered, cleared her throat and pulled her hand away before she finally broke their gaze.

"I don't think I have anything here," he replied and looked slightly flustered.

"Do you have curd here?" she asked and closed the box after she had rearranged the items.

"Sure, why?" he asked and stressed the last word.

"Apply the curd to the burned skin, it works wonders believe me," she said and got up from the couch, putting the beer down on the table in the process. "And I should get back home and get some more sleep," she told him and stretched her arms over her head before she slipped her heels back on.

"You can sleep in the guestroom if you want," he offered but she shook her head.

"Michelle doesn't know I'm gone and I think it's better if she doesn't know about my little trip," Cam said and walked out into the hallway with Hodgins following her. "Goodnight Hodgins," she said and opened the front door.

"Night Cam and thanks again," he replied and placed a kiss on her cheek before he thought about it. It was just a way of saying thanks, right? Their eyes locked once again and it was Cam who broke the eye contact and was out the door a second later. Hodgins let out a sigh and made his way to the kitchen to get the curd. Now his wounds were taken care of, there were only two questions left to answer: How could he get rid of the tattoo? And what was going on between him and Cam?

~*~

Sunday afternoon Cam was sitting on her couch, a glass of red wine sitting on the table beside her and she was reading a book about love, heartache, intrigue and with a guaranteed happy ending. Michelle was out with a friend of hers and Cam hoped that they were really only at the movies. She would have liked to spend some time with her but Michelle had just rolled her eyes and was out the door before Cam could say another word. She knew that she needed to set up some ground rules and apply some consequences if necessary but she didn't want to scare the teenager off. The first week after Michelle had agreed that she would come and live with her had been smooth and both had danced around each other a bit. Cam had held her when she had cried and they had talked a lot. Now the situation had changed and she had become the enemy and she had no idea why. Yes, teenagers needed to go their own ways to some extend but Michelle was doing whatever she liked to and it was driving her crazy. Michelle's clothes were lying around the whole apartment, she borrowed Cam's clothes and make-up without asking, she refused to do anything in the household and she came and went as she pleased.

When the phone rang Cam expected it to be Michelle telling her that she would sleep at a friend's place once again. She was surprised to hear Hodgins voice though.

"Hi, Hodgins? Everything all right?" she asked him, wondering if there were some problems with his tattoo.

"Yeah, sure. Sorry that I'm calling on a Sunday," he apologized.

"No problem," she replied.

"I just wanted to ask you if you can recommend someone who can help me get rid of this tattoo. I really don't want to go to work with it tomorrow," he explained the reason for the call.

"You mean some dermatologist? I guess I could call Jeff. He's an old friend of mine and I think he could help you. But you know that the laser therapy is expensive, painful and the total removal is not guaranteed?" she asked him.

"Everything is better than going to work with this tattoo on my arm. I have no doubts that you'll never let me live it down but if the rest of the bunch sees…. I better don't think about it," he said darkly.

"I guess you're right about that," she laughed. "Let me see if I can get a hold of Jeff. I'll call you back in a few, ok?" she asked and they both hung up.

It took her a while to find her phone book in the chaos that was controlling her condo and inspired her later to throw all of Michelle's clothes on a pile in the middle of her room, not caring if there were some items of her own clothes in between.

She had a good laugh with Jeff when she told him the story of Hodgins tattoo and declined his invitation for dinner although she felt bad about it. But why should she go on a date with someone simply because Hodgins got himself a tattoo he no longer wanted? If anyone should invited her to dinner after this weekend it was Hodgins himself. She called him back after an hour and told him that he should stop by immediately at the hospital. They would remove the tattoo in two sessions, one today the other tomorrow morning. After those calls she was back to reading her sex book and enjoying a glass of red wine while she waited for Michelle to come home.

~*~

Another Monday morning and another dead body. Cam had got the call from Booth that she should come to the industrial area of DC where a possible dead body had been found. Dressed in her blue overalls and black boots she arrived at the scene just when Brennan and Booth pulled up beside her, riding together like always. When they entered the hall the saw a lot of people standing around a bale of cardboard and at first she wasn't sure why they were here but Booth's reaction cleared that up for her.

"Ooh my god, it's the Virgin Mary," he exclaimed and made a cross when he saw the red outline on the cardboard.

"Have you googled the grilled cheese Jesus cause that was just a faulty griddle," she teased him and put her bag down.

"We're here because someone suspected a crime," Brennan told him in a voice that made clear that she didn't believe one bit in Jesus or the Virgin Mary.

"Well, I'm just saying life is a lot more than what you cook up in your chemistry sets. Miracles do happen," Booth protested while Brennan swiped the cardboard with absorbent cotton.

"Religious visions are nothing but Pareidolia, random stimulus being perceived as significant," Brennan replied and Cam had grinned, clearly amused. Those two were always bickering and rarely realizing that they did.

"Oh yeah, did you ever hear of the shroud of Turin, Dr. Burn-in-hell?" Booth asked challengingly and this time it was her turn to disagree with him.

"Sorry big guy, that was debunked twenty years ago. Carbon dating doesn't lie," she told him with a shrug.

"Neither does phenolphthalein. This was not a miracle. It's dried blood," Brennan pointed out and showed them the pink color on the cotton that proved that. Booth's composure changed instantly.

"Ah, alright, let's get this ball of hay down, come on," he said and together they lowered the pressed cardboard to the ground and took layer after layer off until they found the crushed body of a woman inside who didn't look anything like the Virgin Mary.

~*~

After the usual first exam of the body and taking the usual tests Cam was back in her office waiting for the computers to spit out her test data. She used the time to do some necessary paperwork. She couldn't fill out the blanks yet about who this woman was and how she had died, but she could write down some data concerning where they had found her. Being the head of the lab didn't only mean bossing around people and having the responsibility for everything, mainly it meant only a lot of paperwork. Dr. Brennan had stopped by shortly after, asking for Hodgins. She had told her that he had a doctor's appointment, which the anthropologist didn't accept without some grumbling about why he had to see a doctor during his work time. She needed him to swipe for particulates as soon as possible so she could carry on with her work. Cam reminded her that the same was true for herself but they needed to give him the time to go to the doctor if it was necessary.

Another half hour later her phone rang and she couldn't believe what she heard. She expected such things of Hodgins and maybe, just maybe of Brennan, but the new intern? She needed to take care of this immediately before the departments of the Jeffersonian decided go to war- against each other.

"Just got a call from Ethan Lawrence in Egyptology, something about a post it note where his fluoroscopy machine used to be," she said when she found him on the platform working with the exact machine that was missing. Angela was standing beside him but Cam was sure that the artist had nothing to do with this.

"Oh, uhm, their victims have been dead for thousands of years, very little chance of catching perpetrators. You know, it's a priority thing, right?" Wendell Bray replied and leaned against the machine.

"No, really it's more of a firing and arrest thing. Did you really think for one minute…" she started her lecture but he interrupted her. That kid had nerves; she had to give him that.

"I found something, looks important. Very important, would have gone unnoticed without the fluoroscopy. I'm sorry, did I interrupt you, Dr. Saroyan?" he asked with a small smile and some charm.

"Oh, he's good," Angela laughed but Cam had to pretend at least that she didn't find this funny.

"Just show me", she said and tried to sound unnerved. "Something embedded in the anterior superior iliac spine," she said when she saw what he was talking about. She grabbed a pair of gloves and put them on then she grabbed one of the futuristic tweezers and pulled out whatever was embedded in the body.

"What is it?" the intern asked.

"A straight pin," she replied while squinting at the object.

"Right, dead bride wearing a strapless bra plus a straight pin: She must have had a bridal gown fitting right before she died," Angela supplied and gave her something that she could tell Booth and Brennan.

~*~

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I am here now," Hodgins said a while later while he lurked around her doorframe and into her office.

"Thank god, Brennan was already driving me crazy. How did it go?" she asked and pointed to his upper arm while he walked into her office.

"Good, I think. I haven't seen the result yet because at the moment it's apparently just burned skin. Your friend said it looks good though. Will hurt like a bitch for a while but I can live with that," he grinned.

"Did he give you some lotion to avoid scaring?" she asked.

"He gave me a prescription. I'll pick it up after work," he replied.

"Speaking of work: Were you able to tell time of death?"

"Yup, and I already told Brennan. I also used the maggots to run a tox screen and I found gravel in the victim's hair," he said.

"Using my old blender, no doubt," Cam said referring to the maggot juice he needed for a tox screen, raised her eyebrows and shot him a teasing look. "It's good though because I could barely test for anything because the cardboard soaked up all the body fluids," she informed him and was interrupted by the beeping of the computer.

"I'll let you work then," Hodgins said slowly and walked out of her lab with a small wave.

The day dragged on and Wendell had an idea how to get the victim off the cardboard and Hodgins was able to tell that the victim had had a lot of tequila in her system and glycerin on her clothes.

Later that afternoon they had enough people in the lab to help get the victim off the cardboard using a large metal sheet.

"I used to work at _Antony's famous_ in Georgetown," Wendell informed them while they prepared for "scraping her off" as the intern had put it.

"Oh that is some seriously good pizza," Hodgins chimed in.

"The secret is the crust, all in the crust," Mr. Bray went on and Cam wasn't sure if talking about pizza was a good idea given their current surroundings. Hodgins handed Cam one end of the wire they would use and he kept the other. Carefully they lifted the feet of the victim and slid the wire under the body.

"Does this relate to our victim at all?" she asked them.

"Well, this is basically how we get the pizzas out of the oven. And every pie was perfect. Everybody ready?" Wendell asked.

"This is so far out of my job description it's not even funny," Angela complained and Cam silently agreed with her and made a mental note to remember this when it came to extra payments for Christmas. Hodgins handed Cam one end of the wire they would use and he kept the other. Carefully they lifted the feet of the victim and slid the wire under the body.

"Ok, we are in," Hodgins informed the others so they could put the sheet under the body while he and Cam paved the way with the wire.

"Ooh, she's sticking," Cam mentioned when the wire caught.

"It was always tough getting the pie out. Cheese will bubble over onto the oven and stick. Pie could break apart. I wouldn't serve a pie like that," the intern went on talking about pizza and she decided that this had to stop now or she could never eat pizza again.

"Can we save your war stories for a more appropriate time, Mister Bray?" she asked him.

"Oh yeah," he agreed.

"Careful, careful of the skull," she said when they were finally through and the others put the sheet underneath.

"Perfect," Hodgins stated.

"Now that's something I'd serve… ," the intern said proudly which caused Angela and Cam to throw him looks that said more than a thousand words."If she were a pizza… which she's not. So… I'll stop now," the young man added, finally understanding that it was better for him to shut up now when Hodgins and Cam exchanged another look.

"Ready? Carefully...careful," Hodgins said when they carried the victim to a mobile autopsy table and made it without problems.

"Can I remove the flesh?" the intern asked and Cam knew that she should just let him do it, the tissue wouldn't help much this time.

"Knock yourself out," she said and took one last look at the gooey mess in front of her that once had been a bride to be.

~*~

The next day Cam met around noon with Angela and Wendell to take a closer look at the victim and was able to find tire treads on the victim's face. While Wendell hurried off to take another look at the bones Cam stayed behind because she just knew that there was some gossip Angela wanted to share, she could see it.

"Sooo, tell me," she said when they were alone and Angela instantly got excited and turned around with her chair to face Cam.

"Ok, actually there are two breaking news stories today," she grinned. "First one: Hodgins joined an online dating service that works with an application on your phone. Brennan and I found out this morning when I turned on the victim's phone and suddenly he called her. Booth thought that Hodgins knew the victim and gave him a pretty hard time, but in the end it turned out that two people who have joined the dating service basically call each other's phones when they are within a hundred yards of each other. Then they can press date or hate and decide if they want to meet the other one," Angela said.

"Wow, I wouldn't have pegged Hodgins as the internet dating kind of guy," Cam said surprised.

"Yeah me neither, but he said he was just looking for a meaningful connection," the artist replied. "Do you think it's my fault? I made him desperate?" she asked then.

"I… I don't know, he seems fine to me," she said and thought of the kiss he had placed on her cheek. "What's the other part of the news?"

"Oh yeah. Get this: Brennan and Booth saw Daisy at the bridal shop when she was trying on a gown and hugging another guy. While Booth said that she shouldn't say anything, Brennan is convinced that Daisy is cheating on Sweets and she actually told him," Angela told the story.

"Oh no, she did _not_!" Cam exclaimed and her mouth actually hung open.

"Oh yes she did. I told her not to, Booth told her not to but she wouldn't listen."

"How did Sweets take it?" Cam asked sympathetically.

"Apparently he is devastated and doesn't know what to do. Brennan said that he actually considered asking Booth for advice," Angela said and scrunched up her face.

"Oh poor guy," Cam sighed. "But I can't believe that Daisy would cheat on him," she added as an afterthought.

"He's not that hot, if you're honest. Ok, he has this boyish charm but beside that…?" Angela wondered.

"Sweets is a kid and therefore his hotness factor for me is zero but I was thinking more in the direction of: Who would want daisy? She is insufferable!" Cam clarified her doubts and made Angela laugh.

"Oh yeah, I am so glad you fired her," she laughed.

"Me, too, believe me, me, too," Cam grinned and left the office so she could get some of her own work done.

~*~

They did it, they had wrapped up yet another case. It had been late already when they had found out who did it and that meant paperwork until late at night. Couldn't have Angela waited to reveal her discovery until the next morning?

Everyone was long gone and Cam was still sitting in her office filling out reports. And somehow she was glad. She was glad that she was finally alone and had some time to herself without anyone asking anything or wanting anything from her. Wendell couldn't steal anything anymore today, Angela didn't have more gossip, Booth and Brennan could bicker all they wanted and Hodgins… she had to admit that it wouldn't be so bad if he were still at the lab. Maybe he would blow something up or destroy the lab in any other way that would cause her to write more reports but at least he would make her laugh. Sure, she could rarely laugh out loud when he messed up or destroyed something because that would ruin her authority with him. Yet, she could laugh about it later, sometimes until she had tears in her eyes.

Half past twelve she decided that she had enough for today and just needed some midnight snack before she could head home. So she grabbed her purse, switched off the lights, locked her door and left the lab. She walked the three blocks to the Founding Father's bar, knowing that they were still serving food at this time of night. She pushed the doors open and walked straight to the bar to place her order.

"HI Josh. One tuna sandwich and a salad to go, please," she told the waiter who nodded and scribbled the order down.

"Will take about fifteen minutes, Cam," he replied. She had just sat down on one of the bar stool when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Thought you were long home by now," Hodgins said and smiled when she turned around with a surprised look on her face.

"I could say the same thing about you. What are you doing here?" she asked, aware of the fact that his hand was now resting on her upper arm.

"Wendell invited me to come along for a drink so he could introduce me to some buddies with breasts," Hodgins chuckled.

"So he's trying to set you up?" she laughed.

"Kind of. But they are college kids no matter if they have breasts or not," he replied and sat down on a stool beside her.

"The online dating thing wasn't successful?" she asked and put her purse on the counter.

"How do you know about that?" he wanted to know with a smile.

"Nothing's sacred in the lab. I know everything," she grinned.

"Everything?" he asked and smiled back.

"Everything," she stressed.

"Cam something to drink while you're waiting?" the waiter asked when he came back out from the kitchen.

"Uhm… how about some water?" she told him.

"Water? Seriously? You're going out to a bar, alone I might add, and then you're drinking water? Or is that some kind of code?" Hodgins teased her and took the glass the waiter placed in front of her and sniffed at it.

"I still need to drive home and I have seen enough dead bodies in my life that died because of drunk driving," she said and took the glass out of his hand and sipped. "So where's Wendell?" she asked then and looked around.

"Over there at the table with the girls," Hodgins said and pointed in the direction.

"Wow he sure is popular with the ladies," Cam smiled when she saw the many girls.

"Why don't you come over and sit with us?" Hodgins asked her while looking her directly in the eyes.

"Oh, uhm, no thank you. I'm just waiting for my sandwich and then I am out of here," she stammered, cursing herself for her reaction to his eyes.

"Oh come on! You can wait over there for your sandwich!" he said, took her by the arm and pulled her off the chair. "Hey, the lady is waiting with us," he told the waiter and led Cam to the table where Wendell and the girls were still sitting, his hand resting on her lower back and he could understand now why Booth was doing it all the time with Brennan. It was an opportunity to touch the woman you had no right to touch otherwise.

"Hey Dr. Saroyan, didn't know you were here," Wendell greeted her, not minding that he would spend his free time with his boss.

"I just wanted to grab something to eat before going home but Hodgins here changed my plans," she replied and looked grimly at the man in question.

"Can't let our boss sit alone at the bar, right?" he shrugged and pulled a chair from a nearby table to their table so Cam could sit down next to him.

"So you are also working with dead people? What's your job?" one of the girls asked her with an undertone in her voice that lingered between challenging and hostile. Cam smiled overly friendly at her, immediately understanding that the girl saw her as a threat.

"Yes, I do. I'm a coroner," she said and shrugged off her grey business jacket that she still wore. It was too warm in the bar and the white blouse would have to do for now.

"And she's the head of the forensics department of the Jeffersonian, which makes her our boss," Hodgins said and waved his hand between Wendell and himself. "Actually she's your bosses boss kid," he chuckled.

"Thanks for pointing that out Dr. Hodgins," Cam said ironically. "I will remind you of my status the next time you do something without asking my permission first."

"Oh come on Cam, I am not _that_ bad," Hodgins laughed it off and Wendell raised his eyebrows at the strangely familiar addressing. He hadn't known that the two were on a first-name basis. When did that happen?

"Gelatinous matrix?!" Cam asked with raised eyebrows and that made Hodgins laugh out loud. He knew she was referring to the time he and Zack had put the replica of a skull in a turkey, had surrounded it with ambrosia salad and then pressed it against a grill to see if there would be powdering. The experiment had been successful and given them the data they needed only problem was that they had all been covered in ambrosia salad, or "gelatinous matrix" as he had called it.

"You made me pay for the dry-cleaners," he said then and put a hand over his heart.

"That was the least you could do," she rolled her eyes.

"Cam, your sandwich and your salad," the waiter said when he came up behind them and handed Cam the package with her food. She put it on the table in front of her and got took some money out of her purse and handed it to the waiter.

"It's ok," she told him and he kept the change. "And that's my cue to go," she told the others and stood up; but Hodgins grabbed her hand and pulled her back down on the chair.

"Don't go! You can eat your sandwich here," he said and looked over to Wendell who nodded. Then he leaned in and whispered the rest in her ear "You can't leave me alone with those kids! Who knows what I'll do the next time the blonde one comes on to me," whispered, unaware of the fact that it gave her goose bumps, also because he was still holding her hand under the table.

"Alright, but just until I'm done eating," she agreed with a slightly husky voice and pulled her hand out of his to open the take out container the waiter had given her.

"Now that you're staying Dr. Saroyan you need something different to drink," Wendell said and waved to the waiter to come over.

"No, I'm fine with my water, really," she protested and took another sip, but Hodgins wasn't listening.

"A glass of red wine for the lady," he ordered and Cam raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Hey, I've seen the stack of wine in your kitchen," he commented which didn't go unnoticed by the intern. What was going on between them, he wondered. Maybe he shouldn't have invited all of his female buddies but rather set up a date for Dr. Saroyan and Hodgins because those two seemed very close. He couldn't remember ever noticing anything at the lab. Sure, they spent a lot of time together because they were working together but he had always thought that the entomologist was still hung up on Angela.

"So, you didn't answer my question earlier: What happened to the dating service, no luck with that?" she asked Hodgins, having just found one more topic to tease him with.

"It's funny that you bring it up again, because I deleted the application from my iphone when I came in here," he said and was up to the challenge.

"Thought one of the buddies with breasts could be a match for you?" she grinned.

"No, just when I got here Angela's picture popped up on my phone and I was asked to press date or hate," he said and Cam was surprised that Angela had signed up to the same dating service. She must have known that Hodgins would pop on her phone daily because they worked together.

"And what did you press?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing, I ended the application and then deleted it. It was a stupid idea anyway," he shrugged and moved a bit to the side so Josh could set down Cam's red wine on the table. She took it and sipped before she put it back on the table.

"How's your arm?" she asked him then.

"What wrong with your arm?" Wendell asked. He had listened to the talk while pretending not to.

"I, uhm, burned myself and needed to see a doctor last weekend," he lied and then turned to Cam. "Still hurts but that had to be expected. I just hope it was worth it," he told her and watched her eat the last bite of her sandwich.

"Ok, guys, I am done and I am leaving for real this time. Thanks for inviting me over to your table, have fun!" Cam said, stood up and took her jacket from the back of the chair.

"How are you getting home now?" Hodgins who had stood up with her asked.

"I'll call a taxi," she said. "I know it was only a glass of red wine but still: I'm not driving anymore," she added when she saw his look.

"Care to share?" he asked her and she looked surprised. "I'm not driving anymore either and my place is on the way to yours," he reasoned.

"Sure, no problem," she shrugged and they said their goodbyes to the youngsters at the table.

"You were really afraid of the blonde one, weren't you?" Cam laughed when they stepped outside.

"You have no idea," he laughed as well and waved for a taxi that was just passing by. "Milady," he grinned when he opened the door for her and Cam only shook her head at his antics.

~*~

"Second time in a few days that I am at your place. We've been working together for two years now and before I was never here," Cam said when she followed Hodgins into his house. While joking around in the car they had both realized that he had never given her the grand tour of his estate like he had promised her that night. Cam had been reluctant to go home with him but Hodgins had told her that this might be her last chance to explore the house because one never knew when she would be back. So she had agreed.

"So, here we have the fancy entry way with my grandmother's chandeliers," Hodgins said while walking backwards towards the dining room, his eyes never leaving Cam who followed him. "The dining room which was last used approximately fifteen years ago when my parents were still alive. Since then the only thing that is going on in here is dusting," he grinned and led her to the kitchen. "I think you know this room since you found the beer," he teased and walked into the next room. "My favorite place to hang out: the billiard room and the room with the Arcade games," he explained the next two rooms.

"I bet they aren't from your parents," she smiled.

"No, my mother would kill me if she knew I turned her guest living room into a game room. But who needs more than one living room?" he asked.

"I don't know. I wouldn't have the place now that Michelle is living with me," Cam shrugged and looked out the window from where she could see a large pool with a whirlpool beside it, both lit up in the dark.

"There's an indoor pool in the basement along with a sauna and a steam bath," Hodgins said and leaned against the wall by the window, clearly invading Cam's personal space, his body facing hers.

"I should go now," Cam whispered, realizing how close they were but couldn't tear her eyes away from his.

"You haven't seen upstairs," he said in a low voice and tried to read her. He wasn't sure if he was pushing his luck here or if she wanted it as much as he did. When her expression softened, her eyes got that warm glow and she slowly brought a hand up to his cheek he had his answer. He brought his face down to hers and kissed her softly, his lips barely brushing against hers. He pulled back and waited for her to open her eyes. When she saw the look of adoration and tenderness in his blue eyes she forgot her doubts and kissed him with more passion. He pulled her close and slung one arm around her waist while the other hand went to her hair and carefully pulled out the hair band so her long hair came down. When their tongues touched he slipped his hand under the back of her blouse and both moaned when he touched her skin.

"You wanna see upstairs?" he asked huskily and realized for the first time that her right thumb was stroking his neck while the fingers of her left hand were buried in his curls. Cam looked at him quietly for a moment, trying to reason with herself but she didn't stand a chance. She pressed her lips to his in an answer. She could be reasonable another time.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Big "Thank you" again to Melissa and Kim who are converting this story into something that is actually readable.**

**Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter. They made me really happy. I enjoy writing this story so much and it's nice to know that there are people out there reading it who enjoy it as well.

* * *

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_This chapter contains dialogue from episode 4.20_

**Chapter 3: Spaghetti with some drama, please**

„I should go home," Cam said quietly while she was looking up to the ceiling. She lay on her back, her hands up beside her head, her naked body covered only by a white sheet.

"Why?" the man beside her asked and rolled onto his side so he could look at her. "Why don't you stay?" he asked and stroked an errant strand of hair from her forehead, let his fingers wander down to her cheek where he let it rest against her skin. He leaned down and kissed her softly, trying to coax her into staying with him.

"It's already four am and I need to call a cab, shower, get dressed and halfway presentable and then get to the lab," she replied and was silenced by another kiss. "Also I want to be there when Michelle wakes up," she mumbled between kisses and slipped her arms around his neck to pull him closer.

"She's not a little kid anymore. Stay. We could drive to work together," he suggested and rolled them over so she was lying on top of him.

"Then Dr. Hodgins everyone would know that we spent the night together. There's no way in hell I will show up at work in the same clothes as yesterday," she told him and held her head back so he couldn't kiss her.

"Would that be so bad?" he asked without any playfulness in his voice, his face serious and his eyes wary.

"Do we really have to talk about this now?" she asked and he just looked back at her in silence. "Ok, obviously we do have to talk about this now," she sighed and rolled off of him and sat up, the sheet wrapped around her. "I don't want this out at the lab, Jack. I think we both had our fair share of gossip about us when I dated Booth or when you were with Angela. I don't want anyone watching our every move or dancing on eggshells around us when they think we are fighting. Let's just keep this between us for now, ok? At least until we know what exactly this is," she said while looking at her hands.

Hodgins observed her expression while she spoke and knew that while she was nervous talking about it she meant every word. If he would pressure her now she would end it right that second. He sighed, internally slapping himself for not being able to tell her what exactly he was feeling, sat up and placed a kiss on her shoulder.

"Ok, I can live with that," he told her and playfully bit her neck before he sucked on her skin.

"Hey, don't give me a hickey! I don't want to wear a turtleneck this time of year," she shrieked, pushed him back on the bed and he took her down with him.

"Hodgins, I really have to go," she protested with a smile when he pulled the sheet away from her.

"Just five more minutes," he said and sealed her lips with his before she could disagree again.

~*~

"I will never believe anything you say ever again," she grumbled while she buttoned her blouse as fast as she could.

"But I.." he started and sat up in bed but she didn't let him finish.

"No, not buying it anyway. You said five minutes. Now it's a quarter to six and I still have to call a cab, shower and hurry to the lab," she said.

"You weren't…" he was interrupted again.

"No! Shush! Your fault! Even without breakfast I'll still be late for work," she whined and zipped her slacks.

"You can," he started.

"No!"

"I just," he had to laugh because she kept interrupting him while she was frantically searching the room for her things.

"No!"

"Cam?"

"No," she said again without even knowing what he wanted to say. This was enough now and laughing he got out of bed and walked over to her.

"Dr. Saroyan…" he started knowing already that she wouldn't let him finish.

"No," she said again and was surprised when he turned her around by her shoulders so she would face him and then lay a hand over her mouth to shut her up.

"You said "no" six times already and that doesn't mean that I will listen to you. Now you will listen to me though. I wanted to tell you that downstairs in the small commode in the entry way you find the key to the black Mercedes that is parked in the garage. Take it, drive home and if you want you can drive to the lab with it," he said and at that Cam started to mumble something under his hand. "I know you don't want us on the out. So leave the car at your place and take a taxi or something. Your car is still at the lab in case you don't remember. I will pick up my car tonight," he told her matter- of- factly and finally took his hand off her mouth so he could kiss her.

"O-kay Dr. Hodgins, see you at the lab," she grinned and placed another quick kiss on his lips before she leaned down and slipped her heels on. Then she picked up her purse and her jacket and made her way out of the room. In the doorway she paused and turned to face him. "You might not want to show up at the lab in that outfit. I'd have to fire you," she grinned at the naked man and left the room.

~*~

"You should leave a note the next time you don't spend the night here, it's only fair," Michelle said in greeting when Cam stepped into her apartment.

"Oh, you're up already," she said awkwardly and put her bag down and slipped her shoes off.

"Sure, I'm further away from school now that I have to live with you," Michelle shrugged and ate another spoon of her oatmeal.

"I know," Cam replied and walked up to the table where the teenager was sitting. "Listen, I'm sorry I didn't call or leave a message. I didn't know that I wouldn't be home tonight," she apologized.

"I don't care where you spend the night or with whom, I just think it's unfair if I have to report every step I make and you stay out all night without saying anything," Michelle replied.

"I don't think you have to report every step that you make, but if you are complaining that I want to know where you are and who you are with I'm sorry, because I won't change that rule. You are right though, I should have told you where I was and I can only apologize. Again," Cam replied feeling her patience slip.

"Okay," Michelle shrugged and turned her attention back to her breakfast.

"I'm gonna take a shower now and change," Cam said and pointed to the bathroom.

"Sure, it's not like you need to tell me that," the girl snapped and Cam opened her mouth to reply but then decided against it. She was tired and she didn't want to fight now. So she only rolled her eyes and hurried off to her bedroom to get her clothes.

~*~

There's nothing like a crane in front of the Jeffersonian unloading a new dead body that is nailed to a huge wooden cross, Cam thought when she saw what was waiting for her at work that day. She passed the men unloading it and walked into her office to print out the info the FBI had surely sent over by now.

When she returned to the platform Brennan and Clark were already putting the cross on the autopsy table.

"This just arrived from Norway," Cam let them know and opened the file she held in hands. Because she had run late she didn't have an opportunity yet to look at the file which left her unprepared.

"Norway?" Brennan asked and started to examine the skeleton in front of her.

"We don't have enough crucified corpses of our own, now the Vikings are sending them?" Cam wondered while she flipped through the file.

"The annual murder rate in Norway is 0.7," the intern provided and as opposed to Nigel-Murray's facts this one actually had something to do with the case.

"Less than one murder a year?" Brennan asked surprised.

"In that case they should solve the ones they have or they will never get any practice," Cam remarked and kept reading.

"The victim is American," the anthropologist provided once she looked at the teeth of the victim.

"Still if a Norwegian was murdered here we'd conduct the investigation," Clark said.

"The Norwegians say the victim died here and then got shipped to Norway," Cam said because she had just found that info in the file.

"What's their evidence?" Dr. Brennan wanted to know.

"Nothing forensic, it's just police work. The remains were found in the possession of a Norwegian black metal band," she replied.

"What's black metal?" Brennan asked and looked at her intern.

"I don't know, it's Norwegian, whole different kind of black," he said with a shrug.

"Apparently it's a genre of heavy metal featuring macabre imagery of death and horrific violence." Cam said and found something else in the file. "Skale. That's the name of the band. Skale," she let them know.

"Oh, it means skull," Brennan said with remote excitement.

"You speak Norwegian?" she asked, once again surprised by the many hidden talents the anthropologist had.

"I'm a forensic anthropologist I know how to say skull in just about every language," she replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She was a coroner after all and she couldn't say "dead body" in more than 3 languages.

"Well, Skale…" Cam started and wanted to give them more information but she was interrupted by Brennan who felt the need to correct her pronunciation.

"Ska-le."

"Skale," she tried to finish her sentence again without really caring for the correct pronunciation.

"Ska-le," Brennan interrupted again and seemed unaware of the fact that she was irritating her boss.

"_They _stole the body from an American metal band while on tour in DC six months ago," Cam said, changing the name for the pronoun and was able to finish her sentence.

"The remains are male, late teens," Brennan went on with her examination.

"Significant staining on the skal-e," Clark said and tried to pronounce the Norwegian word the correct way.

"Ska-le," he got corrected by his boss.

"It leached into the bone," he said frustrated and Cam had to smile.

"Desiccated flesh on the face and scalp. Perhaps enough for DNA," she said and thought that this would probably be the only thing she could do on this case. Without flesh there wasn't much to do for a coroner, after all.

"If the scraps of clothing and the boots were actually on the victim when he died then maybe Hodgins can give us something," Brennan said unaware of the fact that at the mention of Hodgins name Cam's heart started to beat a bit faster.

"What's uh, what's the story on this?" she asked to get the topic away from everything Hodgins related before she would give anything away and was glad when it worked and the other two focused on the ribs now.

"The posterior ribs were either broken or severed," the intern said.

"Detached at the spine and then fanned out. It's the blood eagle," Brennan knew.

"Beg your pardon?" Cam asked because she didn't have the slightest idea what her colleague was talking about.

"It was an ancient torture in which the victim was held face down while his back was sliced open. The ribs were then broken at the spine and then spread to look like an eagle, thus the name. Absence of blood on the periosteal surface of the fractures suggests the ribs were broken post mortem," Brennan described the gruesome details and Cam scrunched up her face in disgust.

"I'll remove the bones from the cross and clean them and see if we can find the cause of death," Clark said not nearly as disgusted by Brennan's tale as Cam.

"This is definitely murder," she said when she found her voice again.

"There are other possibilities," Brennan said immediately, not wanting to jump to conclusions.

"I have to admit none spring to mind," her intern said.

"One possibility: Drunken, death obsessed, Satan worshipping, drug abusing teens rob a grave and re-enact an ancient torture," Brennan painted a scenario that made Cam wrinkle her forehead.

"Ah, just another Saturday night," she joked then and couldn't understand how anyone could break the ribs of another human being like that, no matter if the person was dead or alive.

~*~

"Good morning Dr. Saroyan," Hodgins greeted her when he walked into her office, closed the door behind him and looked around her office to make sure the blinds were drawn.

"Good morning Dr. Hodgins, you're late for work today," she told him without looking up from her reports. She needed to catch up on the time she had lost this morning. In general she tried to read the reports on cases before she looked at the victim the first time.

"Yeah, you know about that…," he said walking up to her and stopped behind her. He leaned down so he could whisper right into her ear. "There was this gorgeous, amazing, beautiful woman who kept me up all night and then this morning after she left me alone in bed I fell back asleep," he said and turned her chair around when he was done so she was facing him.

"You went back to bed after I left?" she asked outraged.

"It was half past five, of course I went back to bed," he shrugged and kissed her quickly. "You didn't?" he asked then.

"It was a quarter to six when I left and of course I did _not_ get back to bed when I arrived home. I had barely enough time to get ready as it was," she grumbled.

"Why?" he asked, crouched down in front of her and took her hands in his.

"I had to shower, change, blow-dry and straighten my hair, get dressed, put on some heavy make-up so one doesn't see the shadows under my eyes. And last but not least I had to stand up in front of the Grand Inquisitor impersonated by my 16-year old ward," she recounted her morning.

"So Michelle did notice that you didn't spend the night at home?" he asked and kept playing with her fingers while he looked her in the eyes.

"Yeah and let's just say she wasn't ok with it," she sighed.

"Oh poor baby," Hodgins cooed and kissed both her hands before he placed another lingering kiss on her lips and stood back up.

"Don't "baby" me," she muttered. "There's a skeleton out there waiting for you to indentify the traces on its skull."

"I already swapped and scraped. And I thought that while I was waiting for the results I could see how you were doing," he said what brought him a small smile.

"I'm fine. I just need to catch up," she said softly.

"Ok, then I let you work," he replied, pressed a kiss on top of her head and left her office.

"Leave the door open!" she called after him when he wanted to close the door to her office.

"Ay ay captain," he saluted and was off to his own work space.

~*~

"Hey, I have a computer rendering of what our victim might have looked like," Angela said when she walked into Cam's office around noon. She typed some information into Cam's PC and the picture she talked about popped up on the screen. "Look at him. He's a puppy," she said.

"A 278 pound puppy," Cam remarked when she looked into the file that Angela had brought along.

"Sometimes puppies are big," the artist replied.

"Well, prelim tox results came back negative for embalming fluid," Cam told her the newest information.

"So he was never buried in a sanctioned grave, so probably murdered," Angela concluded.

"Murdered and his remains crucified for the entertainment of people who hate life," Cam nodded.

The artist left again with the new info Cam had given her and the coroner had only a few minutes until Hodgins came into her office again. This time he stayed in front of her desk.

"Yes?" she asked and looked up.

"I just wanted to ask you if you already had lunch," he said.

"Not really, I ate yoghurt while reading the reports," she replied and leaned back in her chair. "Do you really think it's a good idea us having lunch break together?" she asked then.

"We basically always went together to lunch break before, so why should we stop now?" he asked and sat down on the edge of her desk.

"People will get suspicious," she said.

"People will get suspicious if we suddenly avoid each other," he reasoned with her.

"You're right, you're right. I'm sorry," she said and closed her eyes for a moment. "I am just really behind on all of this and I can't go for lunch," she told him when she opened her eyes again.

"That's a reason I can live with," he smiled. "What do you say, let's cook together tonight," he said then in a lower tone.

"I told you about the lasagna, right?" she laughed.

"I could teach you," he proposed and raised his eyebrows challengingly.

"Ok, but I think we have to cook at my place. Michelle is home tonight and needs something to eat as well," she said apologetically.

"No big deal. I need to pick up my car anyway," he shrugged and smiled at her. For a few moments they sat there just smiling at each other, forgetting their surroundings and the work they had to do. That was until some noise brought them back to reality.

"What the hell is that?" Hodgins asked and got off her desk.

"I don't know, I better check that," she said, got up and walked out of her office followed by Hodgins. Without much effort they found the source for the noise in the lab when they reached Angela's office.

"You think she actually enjoys this?" Cam asked him when they saw Angela rocking in front of her computer to some horrible heavy metal music that she had turned on at an incredible volume.

"This whole sexual abstinence thing is totally twisting her out of shape," he replied jokingly and remembered the report he had meant to give to Cam before. "Oh here are the, uh, staining on the skull was propylene glycol dicocoe, alko benzoid and sorbatinsesquioleat," he summed up what his report would say.

"What is that some kind of systemic poison?" Cam asked because the chemical technical terms didn't sound familiar.

"That's common theatrical make-up that leached into the skull during decomp," Hodgins told her while he walked up to Angela and tapped her on the shoulder and asked her with a gesture what that noise was supposed to mean.

"Oh sorry, sorry," she apologized and turned down the volume. "I put the music on to get me in the right space," she explained and led them to her computer screen to show them what she had been working on. "Well, extrapolating from the stains on the skull it turns out that at the time of his death the victim looked like this," she said and showed them a picture where the victim wore some strange make-up.

"Looks like your puppy moonlighted as a zombie werewolf," Hodgins dead- panned and kept his eyes glued to the screen due to the fact that he was really aware of Cam leaning forward and he knew that Angela would pick up immediately on the fact if his eyes strayed somewhere they weren't supposed to go.

"Yeah, I ran this through my facial recognition program with an image search of metal web pages. Check this out," Angela said and showed them a homepage with pictures of a band.

"There's our boy," Cam said and pointed to the "puppy" on the picture.

"Spew. It's very evocative," Hodgins said when he read the name of the band.

"So, our victim, Mayhem, was the bassist. The drummer is Wrath and the guitarist is Pinworm. But they do have a new bassist now, his name is Grinder," Angela informed them.

"What about real names?" Cam wanted to know.

"Well, I imagine they play that pretty close to the vest," Hodgins said.

"Yeah, kind of ruins the magic when you find out that Satan's name is Todd or Larry," Angela agreed.

"Ok, I'll tell Booth to search for a death metal band named Spew," Cam said with some disgust and left the room and once again Hodgins followed her and caught up with her close to his work station.

~*~

"Hi," Cam said with a smile when she opened the door that night and found Hodgins in front of it. He had two large brown paper bags in his hands that were filled with groceries.

"Hi," he simply replied and kissed her hello before he entered her apartment. He walked straight into the kitchen and put the bags down on the kitchen counter.

"What have you got there?" she asked and lurked into the bags.

"Ingredients for spaghetti Bolognese, an Italian salad and some ice-cream for dessert," he informed her, slung his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. "You're ok with my choice for dinner?" he asked her.

"Sounds good, except for the ice-cream," she replied and kissed him tenderly.

"You don't like ice-cream? How can you not like ice-cream?" he asked her and kissed her back.

"I love ice-cream, that's the problem," she grinned, slung her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. The kiss started out slow and playful but turned passionate within a few seconds. Their tongues teased each other and Hodgins pressed Cam against the kitchen counter and slipped his hand under her red blouse.

"We have to stop," Cam said panting heavily. "Kid in the house," she added and pressed her lips once again against his before she broke the kiss and he slipped his hand out of her blouse with a sigh.

"We wanted to cook anyway," he said with pragmatism and stepped back from her to unpack the bags he had brought.

"I'm going to change before I ruin my clothes," she said and straightened her blouse.

"I was just starting to wonder if you really wanted to cook in your work clothes," he replied.

"I got here maybe two minutes before you did," she said and leaned against the counter and watched him unpack.

"Why? I thought you wanted to leave on time today?"

"I wanted to but Booth called me just when I was leaving to tell me the newest developments in the case," she said.

"And?" he asked curiously.

"Let me get changed first then I'll tell you," she smiled and stroked with one hand over his neck before she hurried off to get changed.

When she got back, now dressed in jeans and a simple blue top and barefoot, he had already put away the groceries and had found a pan. The ground meat was frying in the pan and he was cutting onions. Cam decided without asking that there wasn't anything she could do and sat down on the counter so she could watch him without standing in the way.

"So Booth told me that your idea with the old slaughter house was correct and they found the band rehearsing there. Then he ranted for about fifteen minutes about their manners because the singer spit on his badge," she recounted.

"Uh oh, I bet that didn't go too well," Hodgins said and put the onions with the meat and stirred.

"No, it did not. He shot their amplifiers," she laughed.

"He did what? Jeez, that guy's a freak! First the clown now the amplifiers," Hodgins laughed.

"Brennan obviously agreed with him that it was a justified shooting," Cam went on and snatched a piece of tomato that he was cutting now and put it in her mouth. Hodgins only snorted. "Anyway they questioned them and from what I gathered from Booths cursing the questioning was a disaster," she finished her tale and took another piece of tomato.

"Hey, if you eat them all I don't have any left for the sauce," he complained and playfully slapped her hand.

"I'm hungry," she replied and watched him adding the tomatoes to the meat and onions.

"Maybe it would go faster if you would help," he pointed out with one eyebrow raised.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked and slid off the counter.

"You could cut the vegetables for the salad," he replied and handed her the various vegetables he took out of her fridge. "It's nice to boss you around for once," he grinned when she started cutting the cucumber and she rolled her eyes. He added some more ingredients to the sauce and then turned around and watched her work with a small smile on his face.

"Stop staring at me," she said without turning around.

"Why? I like looking at you," he laughed, slid his arms around her waist and buried his face in her neck. They stayed that way for some seconds, Cam cutting the vegetables while Hodgins had his arms slung around her and kissed and nuzzled her neck. Then however Michelle's door opened and the two jumped apart.

"Hi, Dr. Hodgins, I didn't know you would come over tonight," she greeted him when she came into the kitchen and observed the scene.

"Cam told me about the vegetable lasagna and so I offered to teach her how to cook," he replied nervously and turned back to his sauce. Michelle crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared at Cam who kept cutting.

"Did you spend the night at his place?" she asked her legal guardian bluntly.

"Well, uhm, I, uh...you know... the key," she stuttered and then closed her eyes and took a deep breath to get ready for her confession. "Yes, I did," she finally replied honestly and looked up while Hodgins stopped stirring but didn't turn around. He just knew that this could not end well.

"Will he spend the night here?" the teenager went on.

"We haven't talked about that yet," Cam said and put the knife down. She felt anger welling up inside of her because of the teenager's attitude but she tried to stay calm and let the situation pass.

"You know you are a bad example, right?" Michelle asked provocatively.

"Actually I don't," Cam replied, her eyes darkening dangerously.

"Well you are being a bad example: Staying out all night, bringing strange men into our home, sleeping with them. I am really glad you are just my legal guardian and not my real mother. My mother would never have done that and neither did my dad," she said, her voice dripping with venom.

"No, your dad didn't need to do that because he had a pre-paid room at a motel where he would take the woman of the day. Room 301 at Langston's Motel if you want to know exactly," Cam told her angrily. At that Michelle twirled around, ran to her room and slammed the door shut. Cam stared after her while Hodgins quickly turned around. When Cam made a move to follow the girl he held her back by her arm.

"Let her go, calm down a bit. You can't talk to her at the moment, she wouldn't listen," he said and stepped in front of her so he could see her face.

"I…gah!" she said annoyed and started to chop the vegetables again, letting her frustration out. Hodgins turned back to his sauce and let her be, knowing she needed a minute.

~*~

After that dramatic interlude they finished cooking mostly in silence and after Cam had set the table they both knew that she had to call Michelle. Reluctantly she walked up to her door and knocked. She waited for an answer but didn't receive one so she knocked again and then opened the door. She found Michelle lying on her bed sobbing quietly into her pillow and it broke her heart seeing her like this. She closed the door behind her when she had entered the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. She didn't know what to do; she had never been a mother to a teenager. However she had been the mother of a little girl ten years ago, so she decided to do now what she had done back then in a similar situation: She placed one hand on Michelle's back and rubbed in slow, calming circles. She was surprised that Michelle didn't pull away or attack her again. She just lay there and let it happen. She heard the sobs getting quieter and knew that this was her chance.

"I'm so sorry, Michelle, I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean to talk bad about your dad. He was a great man and I really loved him and I never meant to talk him down," she said.

"Then why did you?" she heard the muffled voice of the teen.

"Because you hurt me," she replied simply. "I love you so much and it hurts me if you talk to me like you did. I am really trying here, Michelle but it's not easy for me to suddenly be a mother or even a role model for anyone. I have never had a daughter before you and I know you don't have a mother so it's hard for both of us. But if I mess up you have to tell me and not attack me where you know it hurts me the most," she went on when she got no reply.

"I was worried when you didn't come home last night. I couldn't sleep," Michelle admitted finally and rolled onto her back so she could look at Cam.

"That will never happen again. I will always tell you where I go, ok?" Cam told her and the girl nodded. "But why didn't you call?" she asked her then.

"I don't have your cell phone number. You never gave it to me," Michelle replied and sat up.

"Oh honey, I'll give you my number right away, ok? I am sorry, in all that chaos I didn't think of that," Cam said with a smile and pulled the girl against her side and hugged her with one arm.

"Ok," Michelle nodded and laid her head against Cam's shoulder for a moment. "Is dinner ready? I'm starving," she asked then, lifted her head and gave Cam a small, tentative smile. Cam smiled back and wiped the tear traces off Michelle's face.

"Yes it is. Let's go and eat as long as it is still warm. We have to take advantage of the fact that we have a man over cooking for us. He even brought ice-cream for dessert," she said and they both got up and walked into the kitchen.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you, for the reviews for the last chapter. I really appreciate them, they make me happy.

Thank you, again to Melissa and Kim who I spam with chapters and still they never complain.

One more thing: There's something in there that might some Hodgins fans make want to kill me. However I stick to it: He looks so much better with "less hair".

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**Chapter 4: Firing him**

"Posterior Ilium right side damage to the cortical bone layer extending it into the tubercular," the intern Clark Edison let her know the next morning while he leaned over the skeleton that was spread out on the autopsy table in the bone room.

"This skeleton was carted from DC to Norway then used as a prop at ultra-violent concerts, there's bound to be damage," she replied somewhat cynical because given the history of this skeleton it was only logical.

"I enlarged the x-ray," he told her in a tone that let her know that there was more than she could see at the moment. "See the multiple clefts and wastage?" he asked her while he showed her the x-ray on the big screen.

"Suggesting the damage done to the pelvic bone happened very near time of death," she concluded.

"Now because Dr. Brennan isn't here I guess that these gauge marks came from a knife," he replied and she was surprised that he dared to guess. She never understood what Brennan and Hodgins' problem with guessing was because she thought sometimes it was just necessary.

"Someone went digging into the victim's gluteus?" she asked.

"Yes. Bone damage consistent with a bullet wound," he said.

"So, the victim was shot in the ass then killed in some way yet to be determined then the killer dug the bullet out of the victim's…" she summed it up without caring for the right technical terms. She was interrupted though.

"Gluteus, yes," Clark said quickly before she could say "ass" again.

"Ok, let's have Hodgins swab for trace evidence. God knows what he'll find, maybe a little piece of Norway," she mumbled while she left the room. Cases like this one irritated her and that got her into a foul mood. Black metal, blood eagle, digging into the victim's ass to get a bullet out, smoking. What was wrong with youths these days?

Still mumbling into her non-existent beard she reached Hodgins' work space but found that he wasn't there so she moved on to his lab. The door was closed so she knocked before she entered and found him sitting in front of one of the computers testing some particulates.

"Clark found clefts and wastage on the pelvic bone and we need you to swab for trace evidence to confirm that the victim was shot in his ass," she told him outright without greeting, turned on her heels and wanted to leave again when he grabbed her hand and held her back.

"Hey what kind of greeting is that? No 'Good morning Dr. Hodgins? How are you today Dr. Hodgins? I missed you Dr. Hodgins'?" he said and stood up.

"Oh god, sorry. My mind was still occupied with death and death metal and ancient torture methods and smoke," she replied and kissed him quickly, resisted though when he wanted to pull her closer. "There are cameras everywhere Hodgins," she said and disappointedly he sat back down in his chair.

"I am still working on the cross. You want me to check the gunshot first, Dr. Saroyan?" he asked with an edge in his voice that told her that she had hurt him.

"Yes, please," she nodded and walked closer to him. "Thank you for last night by the way. The food was great and so was your support when it came to Michelle," she said softly and stroked over his hair with her left hand.

"It's ok, you're welcome," he replied and sounded a bit appeased but kept looking at the computer screen.

"Sorry for the drama last night," she went on in the same voice and kept running her fingers through his curls. "After you left I caught her smoking on the balcony so the whole thing got act two. She says I have no right to lecture her as long as I am smoking myself," she revealed the real reason for her mood.

"Guess I won't need to watch TV as long as I've got you two," he said and smirked which caused her to breathe out in relief. "How did it go after that?" he asked and swirled around on his chair.

"Good, given the circumstances. We watched some TV, ate the ice-cream you brought and didn't talk much," she summed up her evening. "I will talk to Hank Riley later and ask him how I can get her to stop smoking, maybe he has an idea. And talking about addictions reminds me: If I won't fit into my clothes anymore it's your fault! How could you buy two large containers of ice-cream? I don't have the time for extra hours at the gym at the moment," she chastised him then but her hands were back in his hair, combing through it with all ten fingers.

"Look at you Miss fancy-pants, you don't need more hours in the gym, you're beautiful," he grinned and let his hands wander from her hips to her butt.

"What did I tell you about the cameras? Your hands on my ass aren't less suspicious than kissing me," she laughed. "And you don't like my clothes?" she asked then with a fake pout.

"I doubt you running your hands through my hair or caressing my neck is work appropriate and I love your outfit. Really classy today," he said, took his hands from her butt and opened the top button of her blouse.

"Stop undressing me," she laughed and slapped his hands away playfully. "Back to work Dr. Hodgins," she grinned and stepped away from him.

"Hey, you're free tonight?" he asked, knowing that he really had to get back to work.

"I'm afraid I'm not. After work I have to go to the gym and then I promised Michelle a night with chick flicks. What about tomorrow evening?" she asked.

"I'm free," he nodded.

"Ok, we'll talk about it during lunch?" she asked with a smile.

"Sure, I'll pick you up around noon," he agreed and watched her walking out of his lab. After all it wasn't half bad seeing her walk away.

~*~

"So which movies are you gonna watch tonight?" Hodgins asked her while they were once again up on the roof of the Jeffersonian looking over the garden. They were sitting side by side on a low stone wall, their legs stretched out in front of them and their backs leaning against the wall behind them.

"Probably Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman and Bodyguard, depending on when we will fall asleep or be out of tears," she replied with a smile and drank the rest of her water.

"Is there some popcorn or chocolate at least to make it fun somehow?" he asked.

"Not for me. Two containers of ice-cream remember," she replied, her eyebrows nearly reaching her hairline.

"Oh come on, it was nice of me to bring dessert along. Bringing ice-cream is a nice thing to do," he insisted and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Make it fruit salad the next time and you won't hear any complaints," she smiled, cupped his cheek with her hand to turn his head to her and kissed him.

"Oh, so kissing up here is allowed?" he asked in a low voice and kissed her again before she could reply. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled over to him so she was sitting sideways in his lap.

"No cameras," she mumbled between kisses.

"Thank god," he groaned in reply and let his lips wander along her jaw to her neck. He had found that one spot the other night right above her clavicle… he smiled when she moaned. She tilted her head to the side to give him better access and brought her hands to his head while he kissed and nibbled on her neck. When she couldn't stand it anymore she pulled his head back up and pressed her lips to his- she just_ needed_ to kiss him. Their tongues battled for control while their hands tried to unbutton each other's shirts.

"God I want you," Cam said huskily when he had succeeded opening the first few buttons on her silky grey blouse and his hands were caressing her breasts through the lacy bra she wore.

"You have no idea," he replied and leaned down so his lips could follow his fingers. He had just unclasped her bra and she had succeeded in unbuckling his belt without getting off of him when they heard a loud crash and literally jumped apart.

"Is there someone up here?" Cam asked him in a high pitched voice and fumbled around to clasp her bra again.

"I don't know, I don't see anyone," he whispered loudly back and buckled his belt while looking around the roof terrace.

"Nobody is ever up here except for me when I'm smoking," she whined and looked around as well while she buttoned her blouse. At the same moment they saw the crow hopping over the terrace and realized that the bird had obviously hit one of the wooden pallets that were stacked up there for whatever reason.

"Busted," Hodgins said and they both started laughing.

"Thank goodness it wasn't one of our colleagues," she laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. He kissed her again, more softly this time and looked into her smiling face when he pulled back.

"You have dimples, I never realized that before," he remarked with such an incredible tenderness in his voice that it send a heat wave through her body and made her cheeks flush. He leaned his forehead against hers so he was closer to her and could look her right in the eyes.

"Always have had," she replied and stroked his cheek, pressed a lingering kiss to his lips and pulled back from him.

"Guess we should get back," he sighed understanding why she broke their embrace.

"Yeah, I need to go to the bathroom first and fix my makeup and my clothes. I guess I look a bit disheveled," she smirked and leaned against him when he slung one arm around her waist while they walked back to the door.

"Do I have lipstick somewhere?" he asked her when they reached it.

"No, you're good to go," she told him after she had looked at him closely and kissed him one last time before they walked back through the door and into their work appropriate roles.

~*~

"I love the music in the movie, but the movie itself- not so much," Cam said and shook her head slightly when the credits for "Bodyguard" rolled over the screen.

"What? How can you not like Bodyguard?" Michelle asked and threw some popcorn at Cam, which got stuck in her hair.

"I don't know. First Kevin Costner is not my type and second Whitney Houston is a terrible actress. When she says "I'm not shot…it's my bodyguard" it sounds like "Ok, let him just lie there, at least my dress isn't ruined"," Cam replied, took the popcorn from her hair and placed it on the table.

"You're not going to eat it?" Michelle asked and pointed to the corn on the table.

"No, I am not going to eat it," Cam replied with a smile.

"Why not?"

"What is it with you people trying to feed me these days? First Hodgins with his ice-cream now you with your chips and chocolate and popcorn," Cam rolled her eyes and stretched her legs out in front of her on the couch.

"We just want you to eat normally and enjoy yourself and the food you're eating," Michelle giggled.

"You know, when I was your age I probably talked in a similar way, but believe me once you past the magical mark of thirty there's no way the words chocolate and enjoying go together in one sentence. This here is taking a lot of work," Cam said and pointed with both index fingers to her body.

"You're exaggerating," Michelle groaned.

"Gym three times a week, jogging every morning, I don't think I'm exaggerating," Cam replied and rested her head against the back of the couch. "I am so tired. You really want to watch Dirty Dancing now?" she asked.

"Sure, nobody puts Baby in the corner," Michelle grinned and exchanged the DVDs. "Hey can I ask you something?" she said when she came back to the couch and sat down on the remaining free space.

"Of course, you can always ask me anything," the woman in question replied and pulled her knees to her chest so Michelle had more space on the couch.

"Why did you lie to me when I asked about you and Hodgins the first time?" the girl asked.

"I wasn't lying," Cam replied and sat up completely.

"You know it's ok if you don't wanna tell me, I guess," Michelle shrugged, clearly not believing her.

"I really wasn't lying Michelle. The first time you asked me about Hodgins we were just colleagues and friends, nothing else. This thing between us is really new," she said truthfully.

"So it wasn't love at the first sight between you two?" Michelle asked curiously. Cam knew that she wouldn't get off the hook any time soon when she saw the glint in the girls' eyes. She was enjoying this and Cam didn't mind talking about it with Michelle, as long as it stayed K-rated.

"Oh no, it wasn't. When we first met, Jack looked like Grizzly Adams with curly hair and he didn't like me. He called me a flesh-pressing, ink-stained, policy-making wanktard," she said and had to laugh at the memory.

"A what?" Michelle asked laughingly.

"A wanktard," Cam said again and laughed harder.

"What is that?" Michelle giggled.

"I have no idea. When I cornered him he told me it had no meaning... after he tried chattering me to death," she recounted.

"We should look it up on the urban dictionary; I bet it's on there," the teen said and pulled the notebook that was sitting on the table over onto her lap and turned it on. "So when did you fall in love with him?" she asked then.

"I… we're not… it's…" Cam started and didn't really know how to answer that question. "I just… I think that "being in love" takes some time. I don't believe in love at the first sight even if it's a romantic fantasy to have. You see someone and wham you're in love. I like the idea of it but I don't think it really exists," Cam said and avoided answering the question directly what didn't go unnoticed.

"So you're not in love with him?"

"I think_ we _are not in love with each other- yet. Maybe we will be some day, maybe we won't, who knows. We are clearly attracted to one another and we're friends and that's more than I had with most men I've been with. I trust Hodgins, he's honest, intelligent, hard- working, loyal, completely nuts and kinda cute," Cam said. _And amazing in bed_, she thought but kept it to herself and just started to laugh.

"So it wasn't love at the first sight between you and my dad? I always thought it was," Michelle asked after she stopped laughing about how smitten Cam sounded without realizing it.

"No, it wasn't love at the first sight but the attraction was there the second we met. I had just finished university and it was my first job as a doctor. Your dad had been on vacation with you and came back when I had already worked there for three weeks. He came in, introduced himself and smiled at me. He had a great smile," Cam said wistfully. "The same day he asked me out on a date. Took him about two weeks until I agreed and after that date we knew that we wanted to be together. He introduced me to you and god, I was so nervous. You made me drink tea with Suzie and Mr. Snuffles the teddy bear. Do you remember that?" Cam asked.

"No, no I don't," the teen said with a sad smile.

"It was a great day. We walked into your house and your dad said "Michelle, this is my friend Cam" and you actually shook my hand and then told me that you wanted to introduce me to_ your_ friends. So I followed you into your room where you had this small pink table and the matching chairs. You introduced me to all of your stuffed animals and then we had tea with your two favorites while your dad was watching it and was cracking up. He kept teasing me about it for weeks," she said.

"I don't remember, I think I was too young. It's just small things and scenes that I still remember. I know you picked me up from kindergarten the day I fell off the slide and you told the teacher that you were my mom. And I still know that you read the book with the animal stories to me before bed. Just small things," Michelle said and looked at the computer screen and avoided Cam's eyes. When the girl started typing Cam leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"For me you've always been my daughter," she said quietly and leaned back against the couch to give the teenager the space she obviously needed.

"Wanktard, an idiot who is also a jerk. Related to a wanker that acts like a retard," Michelle read the definition aloud and started to laugh.

"Wait until I see him the next time. You think I can fire him two years later?" Cam asked and joined her laughter.

"Is that how you squints insult each other?" Michelle teased and ducked when Cam threw a pillow at her. "Hey, pay attention, the notebook!" Michelle shrieked.

"Maybe we should just watch baby in the corner now. In silence," Cam winked and was surprised when Michelle leaned her back against her propped up legs. She used that chance to play with her hair, braid it and undo it again, another thing she had always done when Michelle had been a little girl.

~*~

"Hodgins, nice that I catch you alone," Cam said when she found him in his lab the next day.

"I guess it's not because you're just happy to see me," he said warily, referring to the too bright smile and her crossed arms.

"No, that's not why, you're right," she said and leaned against the lab table, clearly enjoying this.

"You want to pick up where we had to stop yesterday?" he asked her, knowing it wasn't true and stepped closer to her but she didn't uncross her arms.

"Uhm, no," she shook her head, her pony tail swinging from side to side. "I came to fire you," she grinned proudly.

"What?" he exclaimed loudly and laughed but his eyes got huge when she handed him an envelope. "Why?" he asked and wasn't sure if she was serious or not. What had he done his time?

"Because you, Dr. Hodgins offended your boss and then lied," she replied her arms crossed again.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, annoyed now that she had fun on his account and he couldn't read her.

"I'm talking about you calling me a retarded, idiotic jerk," she said. "Not to mention an incompetent stickler for principles," she finished.

"That is so not true! Cam, I swear, I never said any of it," he insisted and held his hands up in innocence.

"Don't you lie to me again Dr. Jack Hodgins, I heard you saying it and now I decided I need to react," she said and tried to keep a straight face while he was staring at her, eyes wide with shock. Revenge is sweet, she thought.

"You are making this up! Is it because of us? Or because I brought ice-cream? I will never bring ice-cream again," he promised. His nearly panicked rambling finally cracked her and she started to laugh and uncrossed her arms. She stepped closer to him and placed her hands on his chest and pushed him lightly. "You called me a wanktard when I started working here and last night Michelle had the idea to look it up on the internet and now I finally know what you were thinking of me," she grinned.

"You are evil," he replied, breathed out in relief and hugged her to him. "You really got me there for a second," he admitted and she started to laugh again.

"Wanktard," she repeated while she laughed and slung her arms around his neck.

"I can't believe I said that," he snorted and rolled his eyes at himself.

"If I had known the definition back then I would have fired you. Although I would have searched for other reasons to justify it," she told him and kissed him.

"I am really glad you didn't," he said, cupped her cheeks with his hands and kissed her passionately.

"Me, too," she agreed when they had to break the kiss for a lack of oxygen. "Now that I had my revenge I'll go back to work," she smiled. He only nodded and pecked her on the lips and she was out the door again. Hodgins shook his head with a smile on his face. He looked down to the table where he had put the envelope, picked it up and opened it.

"Dear Dr. Hodgins," he read. "Hereby I inform you that if you ever call me a wanktard, or anything similar, ever again I will personally kick your ass. I know how to make it painful, I was a cop once. Yours sincerely Dr. Camille Saroyan," the note said and again he laughed out loud. This woman was unbelievable! He slipped the note in his backpack that sat next to the table on the floor and knew already that he would keep it.

~*~

In the afternoon Hodgins poked his head into Cam's office. They had spent the lunch break together as usual but this time they had stayed on the couch inside the Jeffersonian so they wouldn't have to fight the temptation of jumping each other. Clark had joined them and they had mainly talked about work.

"Angela just told me that she found something and she wants you to come to her office," Hodgins said.

"Why didn't she call me?" Cam asked confused.

"She was out on the platform and when she wanted to call you I told her that I would go to your office anyway," he replied and leaned against the doorframe.

"You were? Why?" she asked with raised eyebrows and stood up.

"I wasn't, but I take every excuse I can get to look at you," he smiled smugly.

"Don't try to sweet talk me now, Dr. Hodgins, you're on probation," she winked and discreetly stroked with her hand over his arm, checking their surroundings that no one was paying attention.

Hodgins walked with her into the artist's office and Angela started talking as soon as they were close enough to look at her screen and Cam stepped behind Hodgins and once again he had to hide his smile.

"Ok, I did an internet search of Spew's concerts. Now this stuff is all uploaded from cell phones so quality is crap. Alright, check this out. This girl runs up, here's the gun, she fires then Mayhem literally spews the blood all over the crowd. And there's the blood," she walked them step by step through the video that she was showing them.

"O-kay, obviously fake," Cam said when she saw the blood fountain and leaned forward to get a better look.

"Yeah, it's a set piece. I've seen the same set up maybe sixty times in two years," Angela confirmed and fiddled with her computer.

"Is it the same girl every time?" Cam asked.

"I'm pretty sure it is," Angela nodded and showed them a blurry picture of the girl that was firing the weapon.

"The image quality stinks," Hodgins said because all he could see were pixels.

"Except I combined all the different cell phone versions…" Angela said and showed them the combined version that showed a clear face.

"Nice, we can get an ID from that," Cam said appreciatively. "Can you arrange these shows in chronological order?" she asked then.

"Well they all contain embedded cell phone codes, so yeah," Angela said and pressed a few buttons to arrange the videos.

"And did he ever bleed from his ass because that's where we found the bullet fragments," Hodgins added.

"Clark determined that the gunshot wound to the victims Ilium occurred ten months prior to his death," Cam said to narrow down the time frame the shot would have to be in.

"There. He fell down that time behind the audience," Hodgins spotted it first.

"Have you got another angle on this?" Cam asked and Angela showed them another video then enlarged it. "Oh there, the bullet splinters his instrument," Cam said and pointed to the bullet on the screen.

"Right into his ass. That's our money shot right there," Hodgins commented.

"Not so tough when the blood is real, are you metal boy?!" Cam said when she watched the boy fall down once again on the video. "Can you send that picture to Booth so he can get an ID on it? I think the other band members might know her," Cam asked Angela who nodded.

When they left the office again Hodgins was still by her side and walked as close to her as he could without making anyone suspicious.

"I know what you did," he said. "You were standing behind me so I couldn't look at you."

"Look at me? You mean stare at my _gluteus,_" she mocked.

"Well, what can I say, I am only a man…" he shrugged and sat down at his work station in front of the platform.

"You can stare all you want tonight. We're still on?" she asked and leaned her chin against her hands which she had propped up on the glass that surrounded his space.

"Yup. Your place or mine?" he nodded and looked at the screen from time to time to check on his test results.

"Mine if you don't mind. Michelle insisted on cooking for us to make up for the ruined dinner the other night," she informed him.

"Mmh, means no staring for me," he grumbled.

"If you're nice maybe she'll let you spend the night this time," Cam said in a telling tone.

"Does she want a pony? I could buy her a pony," Hodgins joked and made her laugh.

"Dr. Saroyan? Could you take a look at this and sign it?" Clark called from the platform and with a sigh Cam went back to work.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for the reviews and big "Thank you" to my 2 betas out there!

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**Chapter 5: Desperate times**

"Why did you ever let her near the stove if you can cook like this?" Hodgins asked, put more rice on his fork and ate it.

"She never asked if I knew how to cook," Michelle shrugged but a small proud smile appeared on her face.

"Where'd you learn to cook chicken curry?" Cam asked and ate some more, clearly enjoying the food.

"The housekeeper we had for the last five years taught me. She cooked for me too because dad was always at the hospital and then I asked her to show me," Michelle explained.

"You know that from now on you have to cook," Cam told her.

"If you want me to I can cook for you, but with the late hours you work I never know when you come home and the food would be cold," the teen said and put her fork down because she was done eating.

"I think we'll find a way. We just have to get together and talk about things like that and then we might find a solution," Cam replied, clearly refusing to talk about it while Hodgins was around. He had had enough of their drama and she felt a bit ashamed that he had to witness their troubles. Yes, she had known him for two years now but they'd only been romantically involved for a few days and he had already comforted her once and had suffered from Michelle's unfriendly behavior. Sure, dinner had been nice so far and it had been really cute of her to cook for them but she wasn't willing to organize their days while Hodgins was with them. She wanted to enjoy the time they could spend together out of the lab and she had to admit that she'd love to just go to his place and have some alone time.

"Why don't you… I don't know... watch some TV or something while I clean up? I promised to take care of everything tonight," Michelle accepted Cam's decision and seemed to have guessed her thoughts as well.

"Ok, we'll be in the living room and you yell if you need help," Cam nodded and both she and Hodgins got, this opportunity was too good to let it slip away. They sat down on the couch and switched the TV on while they waited until Michelle had cleaned the table that was standing in a corner in the living/dining-room.

"Finally alone," Cam sighed when Michelle left with the last glasses and crushed her lips to Hodgins'. He leaned back against the couch and pulled her towards him; one arm slung around her back while his left hand rested at the back of her neck and pressed her towards him. Their kisses were passionate, hard and hurried as they tried to make up for all the time they spend together without being able to kiss each other.

"Cam, where'd you put the sponge?" Michelle yelled from the kitchen and Cam broke the kiss.

"Under the sink are new ones," she yelled back and then resumed kissing Hodgins senseless. He slid further down on the couch and didn't let go of her so she was lying on top of him, her arms slung around his neck, her legs tangled with his, their bodies pressed together.

"I feel like we're spending all this time together without being able to be together," Hodgins said, breathing hard, and pressed his forehead against hers so their noses were touching.

"I know it's crazy. Work, moving, Michelle… I'm really sorry," she replied and couldn't look away from his eyes.

"What are you apologizing for?" he asked her and stroked over her cheek.

"Everything, I guess," she said and was surprised when he shook his head slightly and kissed her softly.

"What do you think about a real date? We haven't been on one yet," he proposed then.

"A real date with dinner and a movie and everything?" she asked with a smile. "I don't remember the last time I was on one," she admitted.

"I'm not sure about dinner and a movie but I'll think of something if you're up to it," he grinned.

"Deal," she nodded with a bright smile.

"Deal," he agreed and pulled her back down to him so he could kiss her some more.

"Cam? Your cell phone is ringing, or vibrating actually," Michelle said from the kitchen and was wise enough to stay there and not walk into the room where Cam and Hodgins were making out again, his hands now both on her butt.

"I don't believe it," Cam groaned and didn't want to stop kissing him. When she finally pulled back from him and sat up she placed one hand on his chest. "You better get comfortable because I'm sure this is my sister and it might take a while," she said and pecked him on the lips again before she got up and walked into the kitchen.

"Yes, and when is it?" she asked when she came back out a few seconds later, her cell phone pressed to her ear. Hodgins, who had taken off his shoes and had his feet propped up on the couch in front of him, held a hand out to her and helped her to settle in between his legs. "Do they know cause of death yet?" she asked and Hodgins raised his eyebrows questioningly but she only shook her head and placed a finger over her lips to signalize him to remain silent. "Yes, Seeley I'll. What? Uhm, no that sounds good. When will you pick me up? Ok. Who else needs to be informed?" she asked and Hodgins understood that Booth was on the line which made him slip his arms around her waist. "Ok, I'll inform Hodgins. Brennan tells Angela?" she asked next and placed her free hand on his left leg and slowly stroked up to his knee and then back down until the middle of his thigh. "Alright, If he asks can he ride with us?" she went on and squeezed his knee. "Ok, Seeley, see you tomorrow," she said and ended the call before placing her phone on the couch table to her left.

She leaned back against his chest before she told him," Hank Riley died yesterday and Booth just told me that the wake is tomorrow morning," she informed Hodgins.

"Oh man, Hank? Poor guy," Hodgins said and leaned his cheek against her shoulder. "But why does Booth know about this?" he asked then.

"Obviously someone called Brennan and Booth was still at the Jeffersonian. Because she had no idea who Hank Riley was he took it upon him to inform us," she let him know what Booth had told her.

"What is it with the ride?" he wanted to know because he had picked up that detail during her talk.

"Booth said that he would pick me up on the way to Brennan so we don't all have to drive. I asked him if you could come along if you asked," she replied, titled her head back and kissed him.

"So I assume I'll ask?" he grinned.

"Yes, you'll ask and tell me that you will come to my place so Booth won't have to drive to the other side of the town," she smiled.

"That's the official version. What's the unofficial?" he asked and wanted to know if he was reading the signs right.

"The unofficial version hopefully will be that you spend the night at my place and therefore it makes no sense for you to drive back to your place so Booth can pick you up," she said and he kissed her for her answer. Just when it got passionate he remembered something and broke the kiss.

"If I spend the night here I have to back to my place now and pick up a suit for the wake," he said and she groaned in reply and pressed her forehead against his jaw. "I'll do that right now. The sooner I leave the sooner I'll be back," he sighed and kissed her temple before he untangled from her, put his shoes back on and left.

~*~

Jack was happily singing along with some oldies on the radio while he drove back to his place. He hadn't expected that Cam would really invite him to spend the night. He had surely hoped that she would do it, especially since her comment in the lab, but he had tried not to get his hopes up. Their first night together had been amazing and after the awkwardness that was always present the first time it had been playful and fun, but tender and romantic as well. Cam kept surprising him constantly. After she had told him that she didn't want their new status out in the lab he had feared that she would be all work and no play, but as it turned out the longer this was going on the more affectionate she became in the lab. He had always known that she was far from being cold but he couldn't believe how affectionate she was in private with Michelle or now him with him.

When he reached his house he hurried up the stairs to his bedroom and got the clothes he needed and some toiletries from the bathroom before he hurried back to his car to drive back to her. He shook his head when he remembered what he had called her when he had first met her and decided that their date needed to be something special, something she would love and enjoy more than a simple dinner and movie date.

After he rang the bell at her door he could hear the muted voices inside arguing "You go"- "No, you go" and finally Michelle opened the door and let him in.

"I'm back," he said to Cam who was lying on the couch in the living-room watching TV.

"You can put your clothes into my bedroom if you want," she replied and he nodded. He had been there once before when they had moved Michelle in and so he made his way over to her room and stepped inside. On the right side of the room was a large walk in closet that had the same cream- colored carpet as the rest of the room. The room had a balcony and large windows, mahogany furniture and an antique beauty table that had all kinds of necklaces slung over the mirror. Carefully he laid the bag with his suit over the armchair that sat in one corner of the room and put his bag down on the small table in front of it and then made his way back into the living-room. Michelle was sitting in an armchair on the left side of the couch and had her feet on the table while Cam was still stretched out on the couch. When she saw him come back she made no move to sit up but instead lifted her legs up and put her feet in his lap when he sat down.

"What are we watching?" he asked and wrapped his fingers around her cold feet and started to massage them slowly.

"The Sixth Sense," Cam replied and looked at him shortly before her eyes were back on the screen.

"Don't you have enough dead people around you all day?" he grinned.

"They don't talk to me and I'm really grateful for that. It'd freak me out," she replied and wiggled her toes when he stopped massaging.

"Shush," Michelle said and rolled her eyes at their talking. They just looked at each other and grinned before they resumed watching the movie.

~*~

"How well did you know Hank Riley?" Cam asked Hodgins when the movie was over and Michelle was flipping aimlessly through the channels.

"He was responsible for the sport bets at the Jeffersonian that's why I knew him. I don't think we ever worked together though," he replied. They had changed their positions and Hodgins was now sitting behind Cam, their legs stretched out on the couch and their fingers entwined on her stomach.

"I only met him recently because of… well, you know," she said and he knew that she was referring to Michelle's smoking problem.

"Could he help?" he asked.

"Mmh, I'm not sure," she shrugged and let her head fall back on his shoulder. He nuzzled his nose against her temple and she pulled her hand out of his and brought it up to the back of his head and played with his hair.

"Ow," he complained when she softly tugged at one of his curls.

"Your hair is getting quite long again," she laughed and tousled his hair.

"Cam said you looked like Grizzly Adams when you first met," Michelle supplied and Hodgins snorted.

"Michelle! You know one of the main rules of girl talk is that everything said stays between the girls," Cam shrieked.

Michelle only laughed. "There's nothing on, I'm going to bed. Good night," she said, got up and walked to her room with a small wave.

"Good night," they both replied. "And then there were two," Cam smiled when the door closed behind the teenager.

"So Grizzly Adams, huh?" Hodgins asked with raised eyebrows.

"Only with curls," she laughed and tugged at his hair again.

"Ow, that hurts," he complained and grabbed her arm and held it down.

"Don't be such a baby," she teased him and was surprised when he flipped them over suddenly and started tickling her, making her howl with laughter.

"Oh please!" came an unnerved voice from the teen's room and they stopped, then erupted in laughter.

"I think we should take this to the bedroom," she said when she could speak again.

"I agree," he nodded and kissed her before he got off of her and helped her up.

~*~

"When will Booth pick us up?" he asked her later when they were lying together in bed, naked and satisfied.

"Around eight thirty," she replied and placed a kiss on his naked chest and snuggled more into him.

"Great that means we can sleep in," he smiled and played with a strand of her long black hair.

"Yeah, getting up at five thirty every morning is something I'll never get used to," she replied and closed her eyes. She was getting sleepy and his chest made for an excellent pillow.

"Why do you get up at five thirty? I get up at six thirty and we usually arrive at the lab around the same time," he asked and kept playing with her hair.

"Straightening my hair takes a lot of time," she mumbled.

"So you have curly hair naturally?" he wanted to know.

"Have you seen my sister when she was at the lab? That's what my hair really looks like," she said.

"I can't picture it," he chuckled but didn't get an answer. When he looked down she was asleep so he placed another kiss on her forehead, switched off the light and closed his eyes.

~*~

Jack Hodgins awoke the next morning when someone placed kisses on his lips and his cheek.

"Come on, time to wake up," Cam said and smiled when he finally opened his beautiful blue eyes.

"Morning," he mumbled and hugged her to him.

"Morning," she replied and placed another kiss on his stubbly cheek. "I bring breakfast," she told him and pulled back from the embrace to show him the breakfast tray that was sitting on the night table.

"Wow," he said impressed and tried to remember if a woman had ever brought him breakfast to bed. Usually it had been him serving it. He sat up and shifted more to the middle of the bed so she could get in beside him. She was dressed in jogging pants and an oversized T-shirt and her hair fell loosely on her shoulder.

"Orange juice?" she asked and handed him the glass when he nodded. He glanced over to the clock and saw that it was only seven fifteen, which meant they had still over an hour to get ready.

"You smell great," he told her when he got another whiff of whatever it was that she had applied to her skin.

"Body lotion, I'm fresh out of the shower," she said and broke off the edge of one of the croissants and put it in her mouth.

"When did you get up?" he asked.

"I was awake by five thirty as usually and decided to go jogging," she said.

"You are completely nuts," he laughed and she playfully nudged his shoulder which made him scrunch up his face in pain and then rub over the spot she had just touched.

"You're still in pain because of the laser treatment?" she asked him and wrinkled her forehead with worry.

"Yeah, the last time they changed the bandage there was a slight infection. If it doesn't get better I have to go there later and let them take another look at it," he admitted.

"You know that I'm a real doctor, right?" she asked him and started to peel off the bandage without waiting for his answer. He flinched when she pulled the swabs off because they were sticking. "That doesn't look good," she muttered and softly touched the outline of the wound. "I'll be right back," she said then and hurried out of the room and left him alone with breakfast.

"What is this?" he asked when she came back with a lot of different packages in her hands.

"This is an anti-septic especially for burns and those are wound gauzes so the bandage won't stick again," she informed him and carefully applied the anti-septic, then placed several wound gauzes over the burned area before she wrapped another bandage around it. "There, all done," she said and kissed him.

"Thanks Dr. Saroyan," he smiled and kissed her again before he went back to his breakfast.

"We have to change the bandage daily as long as you have the infection. I somehow think it's still from when you got the tattoo and not from the laser treatment. I'll keep an eye on it before you get blood poisoning," she said and threw the packages on the floor next to her bed.

"Can I shower with this?" he asked her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders while he held a bagel with the other hand.

"As long as you don't get it wet," she said as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

"How can I shower without getting my upper arm wet?" he asked incredulously.

"You're the genius, you'll figure it out," she shrugged with a grin.

~* ~

"Is Booth already here?" Hodgins asked when he came out of her bathroom showered and dressed in the suit he had brought the day before.

"No, but we should probably go downstairs already," she said and adjusted the collar of his shirt. "New after shave?" she asked.

"Yup, thought I'd try something new," he nodded, leaving out the detail that Angela had been the one who had chosen his last after shave and he simply refused to use it now.

"I like it," she assured him and slung her arms around his neck. "The lab sent over the medical examiners report and the other files. Seems like Hank had a heart attack at the lab. His assistant found him and called the paramedics but it was already too late," she summed up the report she had read. "And I caught Michelle smoking again before she left for school," she sighed and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"While I was in the shower? Seems like she's really not listening," he said. "What did Hank Riley say when you asked him?" he wanted to know but before she could answer the doorbell rang and they knew they had to go. Hodgins kissed her thoroughly before he let her go and she wiped the traces of her lipstick from his mouth and then they made their way downstairs to Booth.

"Off we go to at least half an hour of unfiltered bickering between Brennan and Booth," Cam said while they waited for the elevator.

"Sometimes I think they should just jump each other, maybe that would help," Hodgins chuckled and pulled Cam close once again to kiss her.

"Hey Hodgins, didn't know you'd be here," Booth said surprised when he saw him before he greeted Cam when they stepped out of the building.

"I thought I'd save you the way and just come over here. I was just a bit early," Hodgins replied and hoped that Booth was buying it.

"Ok, then we only have to pick up Bones and we're ready," Booth shrugged and opened his car so they could all get in.

After a quick stop at Dr. Brennan's place they were really on their way to the wake. Hodgins and Cam had got into the back seat, knowing that Brennan was always sitting on the passenger's seat and neither wanted to discuss this. They knew they were in for the usual Booth and Brennan dialogue and hoped it wouldn't get too heated.

"Hey, the poor guy was only fifty," Booth said referring to the deceased.

"They say cause of death was cardiac failure resulting from a congenital defect," Brennan repeated the information given in the report.

"You're not gonna talk like that when we get there, right?" Booth asked and both Hodgins and Cam knew that this was the start.

"Like what?" she asked.

"You know it's a wake Bones, it is not a crime scene," Booth lectured her which made the two in the backseat grin at each other in an "I told you so"- way. "You're like "I'm sorry for your loss", "how are you holding up", stuff like that," Booth informed his partner.

"I know. I just don't agree with the social convention which requires us to attend a day long grieving ritual simply because the deceased worked at the Jeffersonian," Brennan complained.

"Try not to say "the deceased"," Booth let her know.

"It's not like anyone actually knew this doctor Riley personally," Brennan remarked, annoyed by Booth's lectures on what she should do and how she should act.

"I knew him. He was Hank. He was a prince," Hodgins said proving Brennan wrong.

"I talked to him just last week about Michelle. How to get her to stop smoking," Cam added.

"She's smoking. She's smoking what?" Booth wanted to know immediately.

"Cigarettes. I've been her legal guardian for only a month and I'm already a total failure," Cam sighed and looked quickly over to Hodgins who remained silent.

"She's 16, she's just trying to test you that's all," Booth provided parenting advice and Cam saw Hodgins shaking his head ever so slightly.

"Maybe we should just focus on Hank," she said, agreeing with Hodgins that maybe this shouldn't be discussed right now.

"Oh, I think I remember him. Curly blonde hair, blue eyes, glasses," Brennan said suddenly and sounded relieved and a bit proud of herself.

"Nope, dark hair, balding," Booth shook his head and annoyed his partner even more.

"You don't even work at the Jeffersonian. How do you know him?" she asked.

"The guy ran the best fantasy football league in DC," Booth informed her.

"Oh man, oh man I still owe him 20 bucks," Hodgins suddenly remembered.

"Now that I think about it: He owed me 20 bucks. Great, how do I get that now?" Booth asked, the twenty bucks suddenly the biggest problem in the car.

~*~

When they arrived at the wake it was already the time when everyone should get a moment with the deceased to say goodbye and then join the gathering in the family room for some booze and stories about Dr. Hank Riley.

Hodgins was the first of the squints who had the honor and so he took a twenty dollar bill and put it in Hank's breast pocket, knowing that he would feel better if he had paid his debt. Next was Cam who looked at the white face of the dead body. "Sorry, Hank, but she is still smoking," she told him sadly and made place for Angela who only cried a little because funerals made her sad. She stepped aside for Booth who saw the twenty dollar bill and took it, knowing Hank would feel better if he had paid his debts. And, of course, because it was good to have his twenty bucks back.

While the others lined up and Booth waited for Brennan the others made their way into the family room to listen to the speeches of Hanks brother, followed by the drunken speech of Riley's wife, which was painful to watch. Not because she seemed so desperate but because her speech was really embarrassing. Angela stood next to Cam then followed Hodgins with Sweets. Cam thought about the situation and wished that she and Hodgins had already defined what exactly they were doing so she could reach over and take his hand. Instead she leaned over to him and saw out of the corner of her eye Brennan enter the room.

"Hank said I should ground Michelle, but I don't wanna be the enemy, she's only been with me for a month, you know?" she told him what was on her mind, also because she didn't want to listen to Mrs. Riley's horrible speech anymore.

"Really, now?" Hodgins asked and his eyes went from Mrs. Riley to Brennan and Angela.

"Oh... right," Cam said a bit embarrassed and looked down at the glass in her hands. She knew that this was neither the time nor the place to talk about Michelle again, but she couldn't help herself. They didn't have the time to discuss it this morning and that annoyed her. However, she asked herself, how much should she really share with Hodgins as long as they didn't know where they stood?

When Brennan disappeared again and Booth was still nowhere to be seen Cam decided that she needed to get out of the situation. Standing next to Hodgins' ex-girlfriend and Sweets, who always analyzed every move of everyone was more that she could take at the moment and so she made her way into the hallway. She was looking for a place to sneak off to so she could smoke without one of the squints finding and lecturing her but there were people everywhere, even outside. Without knowing where to go she looked around the hallway when she heard two familiar voiced arguing in the room where the dead body was.

"Guard the door? From what?" she repeated what she had heard when she opened the door and found Booth and Brennan arguing.

"Shhh," Booth made and pushed her out the door and ushered her into the garden and then to a hidden terrace, the terrace she would have needed before!

"Dr. Hank Riley has two broken ribs and a large bruise on his chest, therefore I think that he was translated," Brennan told her in a cryptic way and Cam needed a moment to process the information and couldn't decide what was more disturbing. She started with the thing that had occurred to her first when Brennan showed her a picture on her blackberry.

"You undressed the deceased?" she asked, crossed her arms in front of her chest and was honestly shocked. This was extreme, even for Brennan's standards.

"No, I didn't have to! It's slit up the back I just had to un-tuck him," Brennan insisted and Cam's mouth fell open. Was this really the anthropologist's idea of normal behavior? Brennan then showed her the picture on her blackberry again and Cam had to admit that it looked interesting so she took the phone out of her had so she could take a closer look at it.

"Huh, there was no mention of this contusion in the medical examiners report," she had to admit.

"Meaning?" Booth asked.

"This bruise was sustained later," Cam replied.

"Corpses don't bruise," Brennan insisted.

"Whoa, wait, so Hank was alive after he was declared dead?" Booth summed it up.

"Sure looks that way," Cam agreed.

"Where did the body go after the medical examiner?" the FBI agent asked.

"The funeral home for embalming," she replied without hesitation.

"We should talk to the funeral director," Booth said and he and Brennan hurried away while she decided to stay on the terrace so she could finally smoke the cigarette she was so desperately craving.

~*~

This was completely crazy, she knew it and still she couldn't help herself but to be a part of it. She had always participated when others had had stupid ideas and it had got her into a lot of trouble in her childhood and her teens. And here she was, waiting for a dead body that her two colleagues were just stealing so she could autopsy him again. She obviously hadn't learned anything since then. However the excitement was the same, the thrill of getting caught- yet, this time her mother couldn't ground her.

"Your Sequoia was blocked so I grabbed Angela's Matrix," she explained when Booth and Brennan finally arrived with the dead Hank Riley hanging in between them.

"Is there enough room?" Brennan asked when she saw the small car.

"It'll be fine, there's lots of room," she said quickly before they would start discussing which car they should take and they really did not have the time for that now.

"Here we go, in the car, I got it. Let me just get this," Booth muttered while Brennan got into the car and Booth pushed the dead body in after her and sat it on the seat where Brennan put on the seat belt.

"He looks comfy," Cam said when saw what they had done and quickly got into the driver's seat and second later they were off driving around DC with a dead body in tow.

~*~

Jack Hodgins really needed a drink after what Booth had just told him. After he had seen Booth and Brennan dragging the corpse through the garden while he had held his speech he had cornered the FBI guy so he would tell him what was going on here. He really wasn't surprised that Cam was a part of this, knowing that her mischievous nature was surely enjoying this whole thing immensely, although she would never admit it.

"Hey, what's going on?" Angela asked just when he had poured himself the drink and he emptied it in one swoop.

"What do you mean?" he nearly went into shock because he wasn't sure what she was talking about. Had she also seen them dragging the body along or had she found out about him and Cam? She had a talent for that, he knew.

"Your toast? The word "loony" comes to mind," she told him and he was kind of relieved and disappointed at the same time. Angela finding out on her own would surely have saved them a lot of trouble.

"I was ... moved and you know, uhm, emotional," he stuttered trying to wiggle his way of it.

"Uhuh, tell me what's going on Jack," she replied in her no nonsense voice.

"I thought his toast was wonderful," Hank Riley's intern helped him without knowing it.

"See, I was just wonderful, that's all," he grinned at the woman he had nearly married.

"We don't love each other enough in this world and of course we don't say it enough. You spoke from the heart," the young blonde gushed.

"They should really make an announcement about this whisky being 150 proof," Angela said and took the glass out of the woman's hand.

"Amy, you were Dr. Riley's intern, right?" Hodgins decided to use the opportunity.

"Graduate assistant, yes," she nodded.

"Must have been awful when you found him lying on the office floor," he started and was interrupted by Angela.

"Hodgins!"

"Was he complaining about chest pains?" he went on.

"Hodgins what are you? Possessed by Brennan?" the artist asked and gave him a strange look.

"He was fine all morning. When he left for lunch I said "Have a nice lunch" and he said "Thank you, you too" and I said…" the woman started her story but Hodgins interrupted her knowing this would take forever otherwise.

"So, you didn't go to lunch together," he summed it up.

"No, no, he had a lunch meeting. Sushi. I hate sushi. I heard that the mercury in raw fish can make you stupid," she said.

"Mmh, yah, uhm who was his lunch meeting with?" he went on while Angela watched the exchange.

"He wouldn't say. I yelled for help, called 911 and tried to get him breathing again," the young woman said and suddenly hugged him without any forewarning.

"Ok, ok," he said helplessly while she pressed herself against him and Angela made an unnerved face and signalized him that he should end this farce.

"Thank you, I'm gonna go freshen up now," Amy said when she finally let go of him.

"Mmh," Angela only made and he knew that he had to tell her or she would never leave him alone.

"Ok, Booth just told me Brennan thinks Hank was murdered so he helped her steal the body so Cam could take it back to the Jeffersonian to have a look," he told her quickly and saw that she looked as unconvinced as he had done and a lot more disgusted.

~*~  
After Brennan had helped Cam with the autopsy she hurried back to the wake and left Cam alone in the lab with the body. The first time she had called Brennan to ask when someone would pick her up she had been told that they would stop by after they went to the Sushi place. That alone had upset her. Not that she liked Sushi, but the fact that they were going out for lunch while she was stuck at the lab was annoying. It turned out though that they were questioning the owner of the restaurant. Another hour later however there was still no sign of Brennan or Booth and she was really angry now.

"We'll be there as soon as we can," Brennan told her again when she called her once more.

"Everybody was all "Hurry up Cam!" now I'm twiddling my thumbs here with a stolen body," she said annoyed and got louder, nearly yelling at Brennan. "I can't lug him back on my own!"

"We'll come and get you right after we've talked to Cleopatra," Brennan told her and just hung up. Cam sighed deeply and let her head fall forward in annoyance. This day had started so good and was slowly getting worse.

Nearly another hour later Hodgins suddenly walked through her door and found her leaning against her desk with crossed arms and a sour expression. He looked behind him to see if Sweets was already coming and when he couldn't see him he pecked her lips quickly.

"Sweets is parking the car he'll be right here," he told her and kissed her really quickly once more.

"What took you so long? I've been here on my own with a stolen body for over two hours," she complained.

"I didn't know that. Sweets told me to come and get you only half an hour ago," he apologized and stepped towards the body to see if everything looked alright. "I'm king of the funeral, by the way," he told her then and smiled at her, hoping his attempt at humor would help with her mood.

"What?" she asked confused, the annoyed undertone still present in her voice.

"King of the funeral, baby," he said again and raised his arms in the air in victory and was glad when he saw a small smile playing around her lips. He couldn't elaborate though because Sweets stepped in and he knew that it would be best to be as business like as possible when that kid was around. So he walked to the shelf by the sink and pulled out some latex gloves so he could help Cam with the body. Sweets was too busy staring in the meantime.

"Wow, he's really dead," Sweets said while he stared at Riley's face and didn't make any attempt to help Cam.

"That happens here in the autopsy room," she deadpanned.

"But someday you'll have your last lunch, too," Hodgins said and came back to the autopsy table.

"Yeah, but the thing is they don't usually look like people after you get your hands on them," Sweets said and Hodgins nearly flinched. Usually Sweets was pretty good at reading people, really good actually, but at that moment it seemed like he wasn't able to pick up on Cam's annoyance and that could be dangerous.

"Thank you, so much," she replied sarcastically and took the feet of Riley while Hodgins held his head. "Ok, ready?" she asked and he nodded. "One, two, three," she said and then they placed him on the gurney. Cam walked over to the sink and threw her gloves in and took the plastic apron off she wore over her clothes. "By the way, Hank wasn't killed by his lunch," she said then, not knowing that she would destroy Hodgins King of the funeral fantasy.

"What? Wait, it wasn't the fugu in his hand roll?" Hodgins asked surprised.

"No, toxins slowed his digestion and the remains were well preserved by the formaldehyde and ethanol. Tuna, salmon, yellow tale and eel cut roll."

"Really? What did he have for breakfast?" Hodgins asked while Cam still fiddled with the sheet she spread out over Riley

"His wife said Hank didn't eat breakfast, just a cup of tea," Sweets threw in what he knew.

"Well, I did find some stray tea leaves. His strainer must not have worked very well," Cam said and Sweets was back to staring at the face of the dead body.

"He still has a face. He's smiling. A bit too much maybe," he criticized.

"Hey, I'm a pathologist not an undertaker. I did the best I could. Adjust his smile, be my guest," Cam snapped at him and Sweets was wise enough to remain silent this time.

"If there wasn't any sign of poison in the food in his stomach then it had to have come from his morning tea," Hodgins thought out loud.

"Probably the best way to deliver poison," Cam answered and they wheeled the body out of the lab so they could finally bring him back to his wake and the casket that was waiting for him.

~*~

With Sweets around, Cam and Hodgins didn't have a chance to talk. When they arrived Jack helped her through the window and then hurried off so he could test the tea that was still sitting in the kitchen. Together with Sweets and the undertaker Cam managed to get the body back into the casket, adjust his smile and even put her sunglasses on him before the lawyer came into the room and requested to see Hank again.

Without her sunglasses Cam left the wake and had to drive back with Booth and Brennan alone because Jack drove with Sweets and Angela as he needed to bring the chemicals back that were necessary for the testing.

While Booth and Brennan talked she stared out the window and contemplated the situation. She knew she needed someone to talk to, someone she could tell about her problems with Michelle and her relationship, if one wanted to call it that, with Hodgins. What did he want out of this? What did he see in her? Would he be able to get along with Michelle? Wasn't she too old for him? Ok, it was only four years, but still, Angela was younger. Was it even possible for him to ever love another woman? She had been in a relationship once where she had fought the ghost of another woman and in the end she had lost and he had cheated on her, because he had refused to love her the way she had loved him. That had been ten years ago and it still hurt just thinking about it. Jack had been in a similar situation but the difference was that the woman he loved was working at the lab, they saw each other daily and she was single again.

Then there was Michelle. She loved her, she really did, but the mood swings, the snotty answers, the smoking and yelling... it was making her thin-skinned and vulnerable. What if she was failing? What if becoming her legal guardian had been a bad idea? Maybe she would ruin that girl's life and she would have been better off in Chicago with her father's cousin?

"Cam? You're here?" she heard Booth suddenly ask and turned her head to see that he was watching her in the rear mirror.

"What? I'm sorry, this smoking thing with Michelle…"she apologized. "How do people be parents?" she asked him then, knowing that Booth would maybe have some insight on that at least.

"Did you ever think that this is her way of trying to stop you from smoking?" he asked.

"No, Cam doesn't smoke, right?" Brennan said and Cam scrunched up her face and hoped that there would be no lecture now. She wished she was alone with Booth. Not because she was interested in him romantically but simply because she really wanted to talk to her old friend Seeley Booth alone. No such luck.

"You stop, she'll stop, it's that simple. Plus, you know what? She's doing you a favor," he said and she was glad that he didn't pay attention to his partner for once and concentrated on her problem.

"Right, so I go from a smoking issue to a chocolate, cake and ice-cream issue?" she asked unnerved not knowing if this would really be a good idea.

"You know what? You just, you give your best shot and that's all," he told her and she sighed quietly.

"Nobody knows about the poison in the tea except us, right?" Brennan asked suddenly and so the discussion about smoking was over.

"The murderer does," Booth reminded her.

"When crops fail the ancient Potagai in Southern India believed that one of them might be possessed by an evil spirit. They would find out which one by passing around the poison which will kill only demons. The person who refused to drink the poison was proven possessed," Brennan said and Cam guessed that she was kind of missing the point of it.

"Ok, is this another way to get me to quit smoking because it's done. I quit," she said not sure if this was what she wanted to hear.

"You know what? You are a genius Bones. Absolute genius," Booth laughed and she was sure that he had obviously understood what Brennan really wanted to say.

"I know that," the anthropologist replied and Cam shook her head. She really was unbelievable.

~*~

By the time she was finally home it was half past nine and she found Michelle sitting in front of the TV, her homework on the table in front of the couch, a can of coke next to it.

"Hey, I'm back," she said tiredly and bit her tongue to keep from commenting on the chaos in the living room.

"Hi. How was it?" Michelle asked and turned her head to look at her at least, although she didn't turn the volume down.

"Don't ask, just remind me never go to another wake with Dr. Brennan or Booth again," Cam sighed and plopped down on the couch beside Michelle and flinched when something poked into her thigh. She shifted and pulled out a pencil which she placed on the table. "And how was school?" she asked.

"Ok, same old same old," the girl shrugged and turned her attention back to the TV.

"Ok, I'll let you watch TV then," she finally said and got off the couch and made her way into her room where she kicked off her heels so hard that they crashed against the wall. Next she took off her black blazer and her blouse and threw them onto the armchair in the corner. She found the T-shirt she had worn that morning and took off her bra before she slipped it on. Next was her skirt that got exchanged for some light blue shorts which she only used to sleep in.

She sat down at her vanity table and took the pins out of her hair and massaged her scalp slightly. She brushed the hairspray out and made her way into the bathroom afterwards where she washed away her make-up, brushed her teeth and took her contacts out.

When she was done she walked back into her bedroom, got into bed, put on her glasses and took the book that was lying in the drawer of her night-table. She knew it was trashy female literature but if that was all the happiness she could get she would take it. The pirate had just kidnapped the female heroine in the book when there was a quiet knock on her door.

"Michelle, come in," she said and placed the book in her lap.

"Hey, it's me," Hodgins poked his head through the door before he walked in and closed the door behind him.

"Hey, I thought you'd gone home," she said and took off her glasses and placed them on the nightstand.

"I left my car-keys here this morning and I wanted to say good night at least," he replied and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"Okay," she just said and nodded slowly.

"We didn't see much of each other today, even less than at the lab. Booth called me and told me that we have to be at the funeral tomorrow morning," he said and took her hand in his.

"Yeah, I know I was there when Brennan had the idea to this theatre tomorrow," she replied while he stroked with his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Did you decide yet if you're going to ground Michelle or not?" he asked after a slight pause.

"No, I don't think so. Booth said that maybe she's just smoking so she gets me to stop smoking. Maybe he's right. He said I should stop so she'll stop. I guess I'll try that at least," she shrugged and kept looking at their joined hands.

"Booth, huh? I mean sure, he has a kid. Although Parker's too young to even think about smoking," Hodgins replied.

"He's a good friend," she said and looked up when he remained silent. Now he was the one who kept looking quietly at their hands. "You wanna stay?" she asked him.

"On one condition," he said and she was relieved when she saw a mischievous smile on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"Put the glasses back on. It's hot," he grinned and she started laughing.

"Weirdo," she laughed, slung her arms around his neck and pulled him to her so she could kiss him.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

My betas are so fast it's amazing. Or they are amazing cause they're fast... or fast because they are amazing. Either way: I love working with you two! Thanks for your input and your support!

Also to the readers who review and make my day: Thanks for all those awesome comments and I can't tell you how proud I am that there are actually readers out there who never considered Cam and Hodgins and now they are reading my story and might pay more attention the next time those two have a scene together.

This chapter contains the mysterious date. It was the only thing I could think of that would fit them and the story so I hope you like it.

* * *

**Chapter 6: The he/ she/ it-paradox**

A few days after the funeral where they had found out that Mrs. Riley had killed her own step-son Cam found herself staring at a rotting head. They had not found the body yet and they still needed to ID the victim. While Brennan didn't want to jump to conclusions Cam was pretty sure that they had found the head of the missing sister of Booth's friend. And if it wasn't the sister herself it was her best friend which wouldn't be much better.

They had put the head on a plastic holding device so it would stay in place and now all three of them Brennan, Hodgins and herself were squinting at the head.

"Based on the weak prominence of the arcus superciliaris, the victim is female. The head was decapitated between C5 and C6 vertebrae," Brennan said.

"Judging from decomp and discoloration, I'd estimate the head was in the pond a minimum of four days," Cam provided, knowing that she couldn't say much more without further tests.

"Can you confirm decapitation as cause of death?" Brennan asked her.

"Nope, victim was in the water too long. The blood leached out," she explained and was disappointed herself that they couldn't give more information at the moment.

"There's trace lodged deep in the striae. The blade could have transferred particulates from the ground into the wound tract when it was withdrawn from the bone," Hodgins said and saw out of the corner of his eyes Angela entering the platform.

"Hey, Sweetie, Booth is in your office. He's got some people with him," she told Brennan who hurried off with a quick "Thanks". Then Angela's eyes focused on the skull and her facial expression left no doubt how disgusted she was. "Just when I thought it couldn't get worse," she groaned but didn't leave as she usually would what made Hodgins a bit suspicious. Did she know that there was something going on between him and Cam, or did she suspect something? Then again Angela wasn't really discreet and would have probably asked him already. He decided to ignore it and concentrated on the skull in front of him and swapped for particulates.

When Brennan came back out of her office she had a young Japanese guy (girl?) with her and together they entered the platform while Hodgins excused himself because he needed to analyze what he had found so far. Brennan introduced Dr. Tanaka to her and explained that Tanaka was also a forensic anthropologist who had come especially for this case. So Cam stepped back so they could work and kept an eye on Booth and his friend.

"You gonna be okay with this?" Booth asked him, knowing that it must be unbearable to see a skull looking like this and knowing that it was possibly your own sister.

"I am fine," Nakamura replied but didn't sound fine.

"There is a contact wound inferior to the mandible, exiting slightly anterior to the Bregma point," Tanaka observed.

"That would be consistent with a gunshot wound," Brennan replied and with another side-look to his friend Booth walked up to Brennan.

"Bones, maybe you should just jump ahead and I.D. the victim," he said.

"Maxilla and zygomatic conform to her photograph," Tanaka said and made Cam shudder. She looked to the brother of the victim and could see the pain in his eyes. It reminded her of Andrew and Michelle and even her own pain about losing her former fiance. She knew it was stupid because they didn't have any contact after they broke up but knowing that she would never see him again had been a shock, even more so because he had been murdered.

Tanaka next loosened the skull's jawbone and looked into the mouth, then turned the head so Brennan could look at it.

"The palate is fractured but appears parabolic with a straight suture across the palatine bone, indicating that she was a native Japanese speaker," Brennan said and turned to Nakamura. "Did your sister have any kind of distinctive facial scarring or dental work?" she asked him.

"When Sachi was eight, she fell doing gymnastics, broke her jaw. It was wired for two months," he replied and got even more tense if that was possible.

"Impact fracture from a fall. Remodeling of the jaw suggests that it occurred prior to puberty," Brennan said while looking at the jaw and Cam squeezed her eyes shut knowing what that meant. "I feel comfortable identifying the remains as your sister. I'm very sorry," the anthropologist told the man and Cam thought the expression "I feel comfortable" had never been so wrong than right that second.

"Thank you. If you would excuse me," he replied and left the platform. Cam could understand his reaction only too well, knowing that when she had found out that it was Andrew lying on that table she had left as well and had found shelter on the couch on the upper platform where she had broke down and cried until Booth had come to her. His presence had helped her to keep her act together at least at the lab. That she had broken down every night in her own apartment was something that no one needed to know. It had been even worse once she had thought that Michelle couldn't remember her and then rejected her.

Knowing that she couldn't do anything at the moment she walked off the platform and made her way into her own office so she could find something to distract herself with. She had just closed the door behind her and reached her desk when someone opened her door without knocking. She turned around and found Hodgins walking towards her.

"You're ok?" he asked her because he had been observant enough to realize how hard this case was for her, at least as long as the brother was constantly with them at the lab, his grief showing in his eyes.

"I'll be ok. I guess I just need a minute," she replied and put her head on his shoulder when he enveloped her in a hug without waiting another second. She let him hold her for a moment and kissed him softly when she stepped back. "I'm fine," she said with a small smile.

"Then my job's done here and I can go back to work," he grinned and left her office. She had to admit that she felt a whole lot better now.

~*~

Hodgins walked from Cam's office straight into the examination room where the mask that the head had been wearing was set up. Angela, Sweets and Tanaka were already there, gathered around the mask.

"Whoa, this is like one of those big-eyed paintings they sell at the mall," Sweets said unscientifically.

"Uh, the mask is based on anime design," Tanaka disagreed.

"Japanese animation," Angela clarified although she wasn't sure for whom.

"So, someone had it out for a cartoon character?" Hodgins asked sarcastically and wasn't sure if Sweets or Tanaka would understand or appreciate his sarcasm.

"No, this is original. Uh, not representing any of the well-known characters: Sailor Moon, Faye Valentine, Motoko," Tanaka said and Hodgins lost her after 'Sailor Moon', although he knew that the other two had to be something similar.

"The mask could have been used by the killer to dehumanize the victim, allowing whoever decapitated her to distance himself from the ugly reality of her death," Sweets speculated and Hodgins could barely keep himself from rolling his eyes.

"Hmm, you are entering the realm of psychology, a field of unverifiable speculation. Perhaps I can be of further help to Dr. Brennan," Tanaka said, bowed and left the room which amused Hodgins immensely.

"Sometimes I hate hard science. I know that seems immature, but that's just how I feel," Sweets said offended and acted like the kid that he was.

"So any guesses?" Angela asked them.

"We don't really have enough evidence yet," Hodgins replied thinking she was talking about the case.

"No, not the case. The doctor," Angela said and walked towards the door. "Dude or dudette?" she asked mischievously and Sweets and Hodgins looked at each other, completely lost.

"I don't know," Sweets admitted.

"I…" Hodgins started and thought about what to say. In the end he just shrugged because he had no idea.

~*~

"Dr. Saroyan," Tanaka said when walking into the autopsy room where Cam was working on the head.

"Dr. Tanaka," she said, not knowing what else to reply.

"With your permission, I would like to free the head of tissue," the anthropologist said.

"I have a test to perform first," Cam informed Tanaka, who bowed and turned to leave again. "You're welcome to observe," she said.

"This is ferrozine?" Tanaka asked when Cam swabbed the skull.

"Yes, I'm testing for gunshot residue," she replied, placed the pad on a petri dish and sprayed it, but nothing happened.

"No reaction," Tanaka said.

"Any shot fired within five feet would've left residue," Cam said.

"The angle of entry was steep, exiting at the top of the cranium," the anthropologist went on, telling Cam nothing she didn't know herself.

"Sachi was only five feet tall. Even if her killer was lying on the ground, there'd be residue," she insisted.

"Perhaps she was coming downstairs," Tanaka speculated.

"Or maybe standing on the balcony of her apartment?" Cam asked and grabbed a mask. "Grab some goggles and a mask," she said and waited until Tanaka did what she said. Then she placed the skull in a clamp and picked up the saw.

"Did you know the victim, Dr. Tanaka?" she asked because she needed to know if there were any emotional bonds. If there were Tanaka would have to leave the room now.

"I met Sachi three times. She and her brother were very close," Tanaka replied without emotion in the voice and Cam wondered if all people in that field were bordering on Asperger disorder. Judging by the three anthropologists she had met so far she would definitely say yes.

"That's a very big favor to do to Detective Nakamura, coming all the way from Japan," she said.

"I would do anything for him," Tanaka replied and that statement made Cam wonder what the relationship between Nakamura and Tanaka was.

"Okay," she just replied and started her medical saw and cut off the top of the skull. Carefully she detached it from the rest, put it on a tray and gave it to Tanaka. "While I examine the wound track, you can analyze exit trauma," she said.

"Thank you," Tanaka replied and left the room just when Hodgins entered. He waited until the Japanese man/woman was out before he spoke while Cam kept working.

"Hey beautiful! You're coming with us to the diner for a coffee break?" he asked her.

"Sorry, I can't. I want to get this done as soon as possible so Tanaka can remove the flesh," she replied. "And who's we?"

"'We' are Sweets, Angela and me. And you, I thought, but seems like that's not going to happen. We wanted to compare notes on Dr. Tanaka," he grinned.

"Dr. Tanaka?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yup. Angela brought the question up if we're dealing with a guy or a girl here and Sweets and I had to admit that we don't know. You've got an idea?" he asked.

"Uhm… no," she replied and lay her head to the side as she sometimes did when she was thinking about something.

"Aaah, intrigue," he chuckled, knowing that she would now think about this as much as they were. "I'll see you later?" he asked and she nodded.

~*~

"So the mask didn't belong to the killer; it belonged to Nozomi, Sachi's roommate," Sweets said when he and Hodgins entered the Royal Diner.

"Okay, so?" he shrugged.

"So perhaps the killer wasn't trying to dehumanize his victim," Sweets speculated again.

"Two coffees, please," Hodgins said to the waitress and he and Sweets sat down. "Well, maybe he just had a thing for girls in masks. I mean, I get that," Hodgins said not really interested in Sweets theories.

"You do?" he asked.

"Yeah," he replied and knew he had made a mistake when Sweets gave him a strange look. "In an objective, evidentiary way," he clarified but Sweets still wasn't satisfied. "You had a point?" he asked annoyed and asked himself why he had agreed to come to the diner with Sweets and Angela.

"Yeah, I think that the killer was purposely projecting Nozomi's identity onto his murder victim," Sweets said and Hodgins was relieved when he saw Angela entering the diner. She sat down next to Sweets and started immediately.

"Hey. So, I googled Tanaka. 300 hits, all Japanese, none with a personal pronoun," She told them.

"Maybe we should just ask her," Hodgins said.

"Him," she insisted and made Sweets groan.

"You people can identify human remains based on a tiny little finger bone, but you can't judge the sex of a person standing right in front of you? Does nobody else see the irony in this?" he asked unnerved and obviously wanted to discuss his unscientific theories more than the gender of the Japanese anthropologist.

"Of course. But, as a scientist, I also see the challenge," Hodgins replied.

"Well, Dr. Tanaka identifies with a subset of an urban Japanese aesthetic known as kei," Sweets said just when the waitress brought them their coffee. "It glorifies androgyny," he went on.

"Well, mission accomplished there, Dr. Tanaka," Hodgins snorted.

"You know, I think you're probably right. We should just ask him," Angela agreed with him.

"Her," Hodgins was the one to correct_ her_ this time.

"Tanaka won't answer. That's the whole point. Gender is unimportant. We should be mature enough to accept Dr. Tanaka just the way Dr. Tanaka is," Sweets argued.

"Yeah, you know what? You're right. Who cares?" Hodgins said and found it ironic that Sweets was the one who talked about being 'mature enough'.

"Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it doesn't really matter what he is," Angela agreed.

"She. What she is," Hodgins insisted and exchanged a look with Angela while Sweets slammed the table top with both hands in exasperation.

~*~

Later that day Cam was working with Tanaka while Nakamura was in the room with them again which was unnerving to Cam.

"There is a small scratch to the left of the exit wound," Tanaka said while looking at the enlarged version of the exit wound that was displayed on a monitor.

"And the directionality is outward from the midpoint of the coronal suture," Cam pointed out.

"Whatever pierced the skull must have splintered back inside," Tanaka went on.

"Splintered? It was a gunshot. Don't you mean fragmented?" Nakamura asked and Cam was reminded once again why family members of victims shouldn't be in the lab.

"There are no striations on the cross section of the exit wound," Tanaka said to her.

"So she wasn't killed by a bullet?" Cam asked.

"That is my assessment," Tanaka nodded which agitated Nakamura even more.

"What could have been driven through her head?" he wanted to know and intimidated the anthropologist with his outburst.

"Perhaps you can inform Booth that the murder weapon was not a gun," Cam told him simply to get him out of the lab so they could work. She was glad when he seemed to get the hint and left without any protest. "And we can X-ray the brain to see if we find any evidence of splinters," she said when he was gone but didn't get an answer because Hodgins stormed into the room a second later.

"I ran the particulates from the C5 through the mass spec. Nematodes, turbellaria, copepods, blah blah blah… all congruent with the marsh where the head was found," he said excitedly and Cam knew that he had found something and would explain every step of the way again, instead of just giving them the important info.

"I am not familiar with the 'blah blah blah'," Tanaka said to Cam and it took a lot of effort not to laugh out loud.

"But I also found bird vomit on the victim's head," he went on.

"Now I truly do not understand," Tanaka admitted and Cam knew that he/she would not clarify if she wouldn't ask.

"Totally lost," she told him and he walked to the computer and waved them over.

"Okay, uh, all right," he started and showed them a picture. "In salt marshes, there are high marshes, low marshes, and salt flats," he said.

"Dr. Brennan found the head on the low marsh," Cam provided.

"Yes, but the bird vomit comes from catoptrophorus semipalmatus," he said and looked from Cam to Tanaka. "A willet," he said and looked from one to the other again and realized that they were both still totally lost. "The willet is a high marsh creature. But the cadaver dogs are looking here on the low marsh," he pointed at the screen. "They should be looking here in the high marsh, where the willet is found," he said and pointed again.

"But that is miles away," Tanaka said.

"Yeah, which is why we need to call the search team," Hodgins replied.

"Why would someone cut a head off a body here, and drive miles away to dispose of the head here?" Cam asked him.

"I rarely find motive in bird vomit," he told her and held her look before he stood back up straight while Cam and Tanaka were both still leaning forward looking at the screen. He placed a hand on Cam's back which surprised her and she stiffened slightly.

"We're still on for tonight?" he asked her and ignored the surprised look on Tanaka's face.

"Sure. You're still set on going to that garage sale?" she asked him and stood up straight but he didn't take his hand away.

"Absolutely," he nodded and followed Cam when she walked to the other end of the room to put some gloves on. "And relax. The doctor won't talk. She doesn't even tell us if she really is a she, so she won't gossip about us," he said quietly and grinned at her. He put a lose strand of her hair behind her ear before he walked out of the room.

~*~

"You looking for anything special?" Cam asked him when they both got out of his car. He had chosen his Jaguar today, really classy.

"No, I usually just look around and see if I can find anything interesting. Some old records or something like that," he shrugged and took her hand in his when they both reached the end of the car at the same time.

"You're the worst millionaire ever, buying records at garage sales," she laughed.

"Millionaire?" he asked. "Now I'm offended," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

"Now you're bragging," she replied and swatted his chest before she wrapped her arm around his waist as well. "Wow, look at this! I thought it would be only one garage but this is like a flea market," she gushed when they reached the street.

"The neighborhoods out here usually do it like that because it attracts more people," he replied while they made their way to the first garage.

"Oh my god, my mother had a clock like that in the kitchen," Cam exclaimed and pointed to a porcelain rooster that had a clock inserted in it's chest.

"You wanna buy it?" he asked her and tried to keep a neutral expression.

"God no!" she exclaimed and shook her head. "I hated that thing! One day I just dropped it and then said it was my sister. She got grounded for a week," Cam laughed.

"No wonder your sister is trying to get back at you every chance she gets. You were evil," he laughed with her.

"I was not! She's the one that made a challenge out of everything and then whined when she lost," she replied and he laughed harder.

"So you were the perfect little angel and she was the one who had to live up to that?" he asked.

"Hey, you make it sound like it's my fault that I had the better grades," she complained while they walked to the next stand. "Although I was grounded basically every weekend once I hit puberty," she admitted.

"Boys?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"Boys, cigarettes, alcohol, wrong friends, parties…" she listed and he laughed again.

"Seems like you haven't changed much," he grinned.

"But no one can ground me for it anymore," she replied and grinned widely. "I mean it's not like it actually worked. I had access to the fire escape steps from my window so I usually just snuck out after my parents were in bed," she added.

"You never got caught?" he asked and looked over the things at the stand and then moved on.

"Never. While my sister was stupid enough to get caught by my dad's colleagues I always hid as soon as I saw a police car coming. Still, I understood at one point that just hangin' all day wasn't what I wanted to do for life," she shrugged.

"Your dad was a cop?" Hodgins asked.

"Yup. It's a bit ironic that he was a cop and we lived in the Bronx, but for him it somehow worked," she replied.

"Is he still alive?"

"Sure. My mom died when I was 23 and since then it's only been my sister, my dad and me. Ok, and some crazy aunts and cousins," she nodded.

"Does he have guns?" Hodgins asked warily.

"Sure, why?"

"This time it was a tattoo maybe next time a crazy dad will shoot me?" Hodgins asked and made her laugh.

"Are you planning on breaking my heart?" she laughed. "And don't worry, my father thinks I am still with Booth," she added.

"What? Why?" he replied and the smile was wiped off his face.

"I just never told him and since I am working in DC Booth usually plays along for birthdays. My dad loves him and Booth knows my family so there's no reason to expose someone else to this craziness," she shrugged.

"So you would never introduce me to your family?" he asked and tried to say it in a light tone.

"As long as Booth plays along I don't think so. And I'd do you a favor; that way my dad can't shoot you," she replied jokingly and then realized that he was far more serious about this than she had thought. "Hey, there'll come a time when I'll officially dump Booth," she said and cupped his cheek in her hand so he was looking at her.

"Ok," he only replied and she kissed him softly right there in the middle of the street.

"Next garage?" she asked when they broke the kiss.

"Yup, otherwise I have to buy you that rooster if we don't find anything else," he nodded and pulled her to the next stand.

"Oh, look at this necklace," she said and pointed to a necklace with silver pearls and a green heart in the middle.

"Pretty," he nodded obediently.

"How much is this necklace?" she asked the woman who was selling the items.

"One hundred and fifty dollars," she replied without thinking about it.

"Wow, uhm, ok, thank you," Cam said and they moved on. "One hundred and fifty? Is she crazy? Aren't things supposed to be cheap here? I mean, it would have gone great with this new wrap blouse I bought but I won't pay that much money just because it would match my blouse," she complained.

"Sometimes they are a bit crazy when it comes to prizes. Maybe you'll find something else that will match," he replied. "And wrap blouse? One of those that's tied by the side?" he asked with a naughty grin.

"That's the one," she nodded.

"I like it already," he smiled.

"You haven't even seen it yet," she laughed.

"But I know that I just have to pull a bit on one of those strings by the side and it's open. Saves me so much work," he told her and made her roll her eyes at him.

~*~

Hodgins had been right and the next day they found the body in the marshes and brought it back to the lab. Cam had taken one look at the body and knew that she would need to autopsy it before it could be freed of tissue. She had decided for a brain liquefaction to see what it was that had been thrust through or shot through the head.

Tanaka would help her and Cam was glad that Brennan had sent the brother away before so they could work their usual way and wouldn't have to pay attention to every word they said.

After everything was set up the brain cooked under the red light while Tanaka and Cam observed and hoped that they would be able to find something.

"The heat and vibration will liquefy the tissue enabling us to examine whatever foreign particle was picked up by the X-ray," Cam explained.

"This was an excellent idea," the anthropologist replied and kept staring at the brain.

"Thank you," Cam said and couldn't really concentrate on the brain. She kept peeking at Tanaka while trying to decide if she was dealing with a male or a female person here.

"Is there something wrong?" Tanaka asked when he/she realized that Cam was staring.

"What? No. Why?" Cam replied flustered.

"You were staring at me," Tanaka said bluntly and Cam cursed herself for not being more discreet.

"I was? I was… I don't… I didn't realize. I… like your shirt," she stammered and Tanaka looked down at the shirt, not really convinced that the coroner was speaking the truth.

"Oh, wow, look at that brain," Cam said in an attempt to distract and flipped off the red light.

"Oh, I think I see it," Tanaka replied and pulled out the tray and picked up a splinter with forceps. "What is it?"

"Wood?" Cam replied.

"The wound track wasn't from a bullet, but from a piece of wood being thrust into her skull?" Tanaka asked.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves; give it to Hodgins so we know exactly what we're dealing with," Cam ordered and didn't have the heart to say that she would talk to Hodgins herself. The situation was awkward enough and she didn't need more focus on herself.

"Right away. He has also been staring," Tanaka said. "It seems many people like my shirt." Cam watched Tanaka leave and then hurried to the phone and dialed Hodgins' number.

"Don't stare at him/her. He/she is onto us," she told him hurriedly when he picked up and hung up quickly when she heard Tanaka in the background.

A few minutes later Angela caught her when she was passing her and called her. "Hey, I did a little research on Strutt Photography," the artist said but Cam was still thinking about the staring incident.

"I almost asked Tanaka," she blurted out.

"No! Really?" Angela asked surprised, and together they headed for Angela's office.

"Not that it matters, but he – she/he – caught me staring. I didn't mean to, but I had an opening, you know, but I didn't know how to lead off. If I said he/she was a girl, and he/she was a guy, he/she might be offended, or other way around, same thing. God, I missed the ease of a simple pronoun," she rambled.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Angela grinned and turned on the computer. "All right, check out Strutt Photography's website. Now, there's a link to additional services, which requires permission and a password. I traced the IP address and I found the FTP site that contains all the uploads. Then I bypassed the password protection by hacking into the server where his web address is registered," Angela told her.

"Why do I feel like my checking account isn't safe?" Cam asked, impressed by what the artist could do.

"Look what Mr. Strutt's been hiding," Angela said and pointed to the pictures on the screen where one could see Sachi out on the street, clearly unaware of the fact that someone took pictures of her.

"These pictures definitely weren't taken at Strutt's studio," Cam remarked.

"Long lens, foreground objects, probably taken without the subject's consent," Angela agreed.

"Classic stalker photos," Cam added.

"Mm-hmm," Angela made a noise.

"If he was stalking Sachi…" Cam started.

"Maybe it wasn't just pictures he wanted to shoot," Angela finished the sentence.

During the course of the day they found out that Sachi had been drowned and so the task was to see where she had been drowned. Cam brought the lung in a bowl and Hodgins pushed a stand toward Brennan when she entered with Cam.

"We need to determine if the victim was drowned in the marsh or somewhere else," Brennan told him.

"No problem. I'll analyze the water samples from the lungs," Hodgins replied and turned to his computer. "Now, I discovered what the splinter from the brain tissue is. It's pseudosasa japonica. It's arrow bamboo. It's ornamental," he said turned back around. "Only grows indoors in this climate," he said.

"Sharpened bamboo could easily pierce the skull," Brennan said.

"The girl was drowned first, a mask was put on her, then she was decapitated and her head was mounted on a bamboo stake?" Cam asked, the case once again disgusting her more and more.

"Yeah, then the head was tossed into the marsh?" Hodgins went on.

"Let's find out what kind of water was in her lungs," Cam relied.

~*~

Later that night when they had found out who had killed Sachi Hodgins, Cam, Angela and Sweets stood on the examination platform and looked at from afar.

"So… no one asked Tanaka?" Hodgins asked.

"It doesn't matter, remember?" Sweets reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah. No, I know," Hodgins nodded.

"It's Tanaka's life. We are not children," Cam said and sounded like she needed to convince herself.

"Very good," Sweets said satisfied.

"Oh, this is ridiculous," Angela suddenly said, sighed and walked to Tanaka under the watchful eyes of her colleagues.

"Hey, Haru. It was great working with you. I hope to see you again soon," she said and hugged Tanaka tightly. First Cam and Hodgins looked at each other seeing if the other one knew what Angela was planning, then when they saw that she hugged him/her even Sweets turned his head and looked away.

"Okay, then. Have a great trip back," she said when she let go of the surprised anthropologist and walked back to the others. "It moved. He's a guy," she informed them and while Cam was happy that she had been right with her assumption Hodgins made a face and had to admit that he had been wrong.

~*~

"I was so sure that he was a she," he said later that night and pouted slightly while he and Cam sat in her living room and ate their sandwiches.

"I told you yesterday that he was a he," she replied and lay her napkin on her now empty plate.

"I don't know why but since Angela said it I can't get the formulation out of my head. 'It moved'," he said then and leaned back against the cushion.

"That was really graphic," Cam laughed and leaned against him.

"And I really thought that he was a she so there wouldn't be anything that could move," he went on and wrapped one arm around her shoulders.

"Or are you jealous that Angela hugged him and not you? That his something moved and not yours," she said teasingly but he wasn't sure if she was really being ok with him being jealous. If he were jealous, which he was not.

"No, I am not jealous because I have the exclusive right to hug you any time I want and also it's none of Angela's business anymore what moves or doesn't move in my pants," he said and smiled reassuringly at her.

"Exclusive right? Did I miss something?" she asked and raised one eyebrow.

"Mmh, exclusive right to do this," he said and kissed her. "And that," he went on and nibbled on her neck while he unbuttoned her blouse.

"You're staying over, right?" she asked him and tilted her head to the side to give him better access.

"Of course," he nodded, got off the couch and pulled her up with him so he wouldn't lose contact with her. He kissed her again while they made their way to her bedroom.

"Let's see if something moves," she giggled and fumbled with one hand behind her to open the door.

"I think you know by now that I am male," he replied and pressed her hips against hers.

"Definitely," she mumbled before her lips were sealed by his again and they stumbled into her bedroom. Hodgins kicked the door shut behind them and hoped that Michelle was fast asleep already. He had spent several nights at Cam's place already and knew by now that they needed to be as quiet as they could. Yet every time it got harder and he always waited for Cam to tell him the next day that Michelle had said something to her. It was just… the more time he spent with her the more he missed her when they were apart or at the lab where he couldn't kiss her or touch her like he wanted. He had caught himself staring at her several times already and sometimes the urge to reach out and just take her hand or touch her hair became enormous and he had to put his hands into the pockets of his lab coat to prevent from slipping.

He turned them around and pressed her against the wall next to the door, kissing her hungrily while he undid the last buttons of her blouse in such a haze that he feared they would fall off and Cam would kill him. Where was that wrap blouse she had talked about? He stroked the fabric off her body and let it carelessly drop to the floor where his own shirt was already lying. Their lips separated only so long that she could pull his T-shirt over his head and he moaned appreciatively when their tongues finally touched again. Her skirt and his jeans came off next and joined the other clothes on the pile on the floor.

"Bed," he mumbled between kisses and unclasped her bra.

"Right here," she replied huskily. He wanted to, he really wanted to take her right there against the wall and make her scream his name but he knew that this was not the time or the place for it. They weren't alone in the apartment and he also needed to erase the doubts she had about him being jealous about Angela. And he needed to mark her slowly and thoroughly, not hurried against the wall, so that she wouldn't think about hugging another guy again. Maybe she would dump Booth sooner than she had thought, he told himself and tumbled with her onto the bed.

~*~

"Wow, look at you," he said when she stepped out of the elevator the next night in a tight black dress and black heels.

"You clean up nice as well," she grinned and kissed him hello before they walked outside to his car. He was dressed in a grey suit and a blue shirt that brought out his eyes. "You didn't tell me yet where we're going," she said when he opened the car door for her.

"Nice try, Dr. Saroyan. I told you I wouldn't tell you," he replied and pecked her lips before he walked around the car and got in.

"It's our first date and you won't tell me where we're going, only what I have to wear, that's mean and I can't enjoy the date that way," she replied and tried once again to trick him into telling her. If slyness wasn't helping maybe the pout would.

"Oh you will enjoy yourself, don't worry. Actually I am a bit scared about how dangerous it might get if you enjoy yourself too much," he laughed and pulled onto the highway.

"It's gonna be dangerous? You should have told me that before I would have brought my gun," she said but couldn't hide her excitement. He only grinned at her and took her hand in his before he pulled off the highway again and drove to another part of the town, one she usually associated with gangs, drugs and prostitution. That didn't mean though that she was scared, she was from New York after all, but she was irritated because there was nothing that came to her mind that one could do here when going for a date. Hodgins parked the car in an alley where to her big surprise other expensive cars stood, guarded by a guy who looked like he hadn't decided yet if he would guard or steal them. Hodgins handed him a twenty dollar bill when he got out of the car and talked quietly with the guy for a minute until he came back and opened the door for her.

"Where are we?" she asked quietly and thought that she really should have brought her gun or some pepper spray at least.

"Just wait and see. One thing: Do not mention under any circumstances what we do for a living or that you were a cop once, ok?" he told her and she nodded, a smile appearing on her face. This really was dangerous whatever he had planned for her and she loved it!

Hodgins led her to the back door of a building and knocked three times, waited and knocked three times again and someone opened the door. The smell of smoke, alcohol, drugs and expensive aftershave wavered out and they entered after Hodgins handed the guy at the door a card, which he read and then nodded. They had to walk some steps down until they reached another heavy door that Hodgins pulled open. The smell intensified and mixed with music and voices. Cam looked around while they walked up to the bar and she had trouble keeping her jaw from hitting the floor.

"You took me to an illegal casino for our first date?" she asked him quietly and he nodded.

"Thought you'd like it. I remember you saying something about relaxing with Poker and shots. So enjoy yourself," he grinned and handed her an envelope. When she opened it she found casino tokens in there worth at least two thousand dollars. "I hope you're good," he said when he saw her calculating how much money she held in her hands. Cam didn't say anything; she just grabbed him by his shirt and kissed him passionately.

"Two shots for me and the lady," Hodgins told the barkeeper when they broke the kiss and smiled when he saw the excitement written all over her face.

~*~

With a triumphant grin Cam blew out the smoke and stacked the chips she had just won I front of her. Hodgins had been playing roulette for a while but he found that it was more amusing watching her playing poker. He could see when she was bluffing but the others couldn't tell because they didn't know her and so she won round after round and he knew that she must have won at least ten thousand already. Problem was that if she got too good they would get into trouble with the owners of that little thing here. So before she could place another Blind he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, let's have some more drinks and then we head home," he told her and was glad when she stood up without protesting. She had knocked back quite a few shots over the evening and he wasn't even surprised that she was still talking normal and could walk straight. When she had first told them that this was what she did for relaxation he had believed it without questioning it. Girl from the Bronx who became a cop and now worked at a lab needed some kind of action. Seeing her in this milieu though, talking to guys whose criminal records were probably as long as his account statement amused and intimidated him at the same time. When she had threatened to take New York action two years ago she probably hadn't been joking as much as he had thought. She linked her arm through his and while he ordered only a coke for himself she wanted a dry martini.

"I had to stop you from winning one more round or they would have probably kicked us out," he whispered in her ear and pulled her against him.

"This is the best first date I've ever been on," she replied, slung her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Can't we just forget about those drinks and go home now?" she asked and nipped playfully at his bottom lip with her teeth, while her hands slipped into the back pockets of his slacks.

"Let's get out of here," he nodded, threw another bill on the counter that would cover the drinks and led her out of the casino.

She was all over him as soon as they sat in the car and when he could think for a second he pulled out of the parking space and sped home. They had agreed on spending the night at his place for once and he was really glad because it was closer. He didn't even lock the car when he parked it in front of his house and neither did he notice it. By the time the door slammed shut behind them he had pressed her against the wall in the foyer the skirt of her dress pushed up over her hips and she was fumbling with his belt. This time they were alone. This time they could be as loud as they wanted. This time he took her against the wall- the first time.

**TBC**

**There's a discussion going on if this needs an M-rated extension. Thoughts?  
**


	7. Chapter 7

As always thanks to Melissa and Kim for their help with this story. And thank you for the wonderful reviews. Keep them coming!

**Chapter 7: Interruptions**

When Cam woke up the next morning she was alone in bed. She reached over to Hodgins' side with one hand and found the sheets and the pillow next to her cold, so he must have been up for a while. When she looked at the alarm clock that sat on his night table she saw that it was already eleven AM, so maybe time to get up. It was rare that she slept in that late on a Sunday, but after the date and the other activities of last night it was understandable. She smiled when she remembered how they had made it from the entryway only to the couch in the living room for round two. Only when they both woke up in the early morning they had dragged themselves up the stairs to his bed, where a lazy round three had followed and then they had fallen asleep again.

She got out of bed and grabbed her panties from the floor as well as his shirt and slipped both on. She combed with one hand through her tangled hair and realized that it still smelled like smoke, alcohol and something forbidden. Last night that smell had been intoxicating at the illegal casino, but this morning she found that it had lost its appeal. Slowly and still sniffing at her own strands of hair she walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs, where she turned left and quietly padded barefoot through the dining room into the kitchen.

He was standing with his back towards her, clad only in a pair of blue and white striped boxer shorts and hummed quietly while he seemed to wait for the coffee machine to fill the cup he had placed underneath it.

From behind she sneaked her arms around his waist, what made him jump slightly, and lay her cheek against his naked back.

"Morning," she mumbled sleepily and lifted her head a bit when he turned around in her arms and wrapped his arm around her shoulders and her neck and hugged her tightly.

"Morning. You should have stayed in bed. I was just getting breakfast ready," he said and pressed a kiss against her forehead.

"Bed was cold," she replied and he smiled at her sleepy mumbling.

"Now that you're up we can eat outside on the patio if you want. It's warm out," he said and stroked some hair out of her face.

"Sounds good," she smiled against his neck. "Can I shower first?" she asked then, realizing that he had buried his nose in her hair.

"Breakfast is ready. Why don't we shower together after breakfast?" he asked and kissed her when she lifted her head and nodded. "Can you take those?" he asked her and handed her two coffee cups, because there was no more space left on the breakfast tray. She took them from him while he carried the tray and led the way out to the patio. It was a beautiful place with teak furniture; large trees surrounding it and a huge pool in front of it that was shaped like a double S. Hodgins placed the tray on the table and walked to a small shed that stood on the left, hidden behind the trees. Inside he found two cushions for the chairs.

"It's beautiful out here," Cam said appreciatively and walked to the edge of the patio to look over the area.

"If you walk past the pool there's a pool house to the right behind those trees and then it's just garden. If you turn left after a while you reach the guesthouses and the driveway," he told her and wrapped one arm around her shoulders and walked back to the table with her. Without asking he handed her a croissant and strawberry jam, while he grabbed some scrambled eggs, bacon and toast.

"Do you have any plans for today?" he asked her.

"No, I was thinking about going to the lab this afternoon to do some paperwork before I go home and clean my place. It's a mess," she said with a sigh and dipped the edge of her croissant into the jam.

"What about Michelle?" he asked because he only knew that she had spent the last night at a friend's place.

"She's going with her friend to this new water world adventure thing and won't be back before tomorrow after school," she replied.

"Why don't you just stay here until tomorrow? We could stay out here at the pool, go out for dinner or order something if we want to stay in. Just be lazy all day and spend some time together," he told her with a smile.

"Sounds good, but I need clothes for today and tomorrow. Oh, and my car," she added and he realized that she still didn't want to drive to work with him. He had understood that she had wanted to keep it between them at first but now it had been nearly six weeks of sneaking around and he was getting tired of it. It wasn't convenient to drive to work with two cars all week, even though they spend nearly every night together. He couldn't kiss her or touch her in front of the others and it was hard to stay longer inside her office with the door closed without the others getting suspicious. He was getting tired of it and he wanted to tell her. However neither did he want to ruin the day they had together because he knew she wouldn't just agree like that.

"We can drive over to your place, pick up some clothes and your car and if you want to I'll help you clean before we come back here," he offered instead and was relieved when she nodded and smiled.

"Ok, but I think I'll do the cleaning another day," she said.

"Even better," he said and grinned at her from behind his coffee cup.

~*~

In the afternoon they were lying on the pool chairs lazily dozing in the shade, clad only in a bikini and some shorts, when Cam's cell phone started ringing. She looked at the screen before answering it and flipped it open with one hand so she wouldn't have to let go of Hodgins' hand which she held with the other.

"Hi Seeley," she grinned and lay back down. "Don't call me Camille!" she said next and Hodgins knew they were exchanging their usual banter. "What? No, why?" she asked then and Hodgins turned his head to look at her while she spoke to Booth. "No, he didn't call me," she said and he lifted her hand up to his lips and placed a kiss on it. "Who's Bill?" she asked and looked over to him with a small smile on her face. "Ah, that Bill. I haven't seen him in ages," she went on. "My dad? My dad's just dandy, happily playing with his fancy new remote control. I'm always waiting for the call when Felicia tells him that we're not a couple anymore," she laughed, listened to Booth and didn't pay attention to Hodgins who suddenly bit her thumb lightly before he placed a kiss on each fingertip. He thought it wasn't fair that Booth was intruding on their alone time and he wanted her to himself again. If he had to play dirty to achieve that- fine by him. "Listen I have to go now, uhm, I'll tell Jared that you're looking for him if he calls me, ok? Ok, have fun with Parker. Yeah, say hi back and tell him I didn't forget the zoo invitation," she said and then hung up. "What are you doing?" she asked Hodgins and threw her phone back onto the grass.

"Requesting some attention," he replied and kissed up her arm as far as he could reach without sitting up or rolling onto his side.

"Didn't you get enough attention last night and this morning?" she asked him.

"There's no such thing as enough or too much attention," he replied and laughed when she tugged on his arm. He let her tug harder before he gave into her wordless request and rolled over onto her chair and onto her.

"Better?" she asked after she had slung her arms around his neck and had kissed him heatedly.

"A bit," he grinned and kissed her again.

"We've been lying here all afternoon and haven't been in the water yet," she said, her hands playing with small hairs at the back of his neck.

"We had better things to do," he grinned.

"I know, but I'd like to go swimming now before it's evening and the sun is down," she said but didn't make any attempts to push him off of her.

"All right, your wish is my command," he said, got up and picked her up bridal style.

"Don't you dare," she shrieked when she understood that he was going to throw her into the pool and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Hodgins didn't throw her in but jumped in with her in his arms.

"You are crazy! What if one of us had a stroke?" she asked when they came back up, she still in his arms. He decided not to reply and shut her up by kissing her instead. "I wanted to swim," she said huskily when they broke the kiss.

"You're free to go, or, well, to swim," he said and let go of her and held his arms out. Cam just smiled, kept her arms wrapped around his neck and slung her legs around his waist.

"Nah," she said and was glad when he wrapped his arms around her again, his fingers stroking over the wet skin of her back. She could swim another time.

~*~

"Hey, I've got something for you," Hodgins said after dinner when they were sitting out on the patio once again talking and just enjoying the evening. The lights in the garden and the candles on the table created a romantic atmosphere and they talked about everything and nothing.

"Really what? Please don't say dessert," she joked and he had to laugh.

"No, no dessert, I learned from my mistakes. Just wait a second I'll be right back," he replied and she watched him walking back into the house.

It had been a good day, she thought while she rolled the stem of her red wine glass between her fingers. She really could get used to spending time with Hodgins like this. However she had to admit that the more she enjoyed their time together the more tempted she got to end this whole thing. When it had started she had told herself that it was a fling, just something temporary for both of them. They could end it easily and go back to being friends if one of them wanted out or found someone else. She wondered when Angela would come back into the picture because she knew that he was still not over her. If Angela would snap her fingers he would go back to her without hesitating for a second and she should never forget that. Everyone at the Jeffersonian knew that Jack was madly in love with Angela . No matter how good they were together or how much she enjoyed their talks and their time together it was only temporary. She knew it, had known it from the very beginning and still only thinking about it hurt. She wondered if maybe it wouldn't be as bad as she thought when ending it quickly; like ripping a band-aid off. Booth had done it with her days before she had been released from the hospital and it hadn't been that bad. Sure, she had been disappointed because the sex had been amazing and Booth was always funny and a really good friend. So maybe it would be similar, she wondered, but then shook her head about her own thoughts. This wouldn't be similar because she finally had to admit to herself that she had fallen for Jack Hodgins, and had fallen hard.

He found her staring of into space when he came back, a pensive look on her face.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked her and touched her shoulder lightly but it still startled her.

"Nothing important," she replied and smiled unaware of the fact that he knew that both the answer and the smile were lies.

"Ok," he said and decided against searching for the truth. "Here, this is for you," he said then and handed her a small black satin pouch. Curiously she opened it and found the necklace inside that she had wanted to buy at the garage sale.

"When did you buy this?" she asked surprised and took the necklace out.

"While you were bargaining with the one lady about those Justin Timberlake CDs," he grinned and sat down on the armrest of her chair.

"You saw that? I thought you were buying records?"

"Nope, I was buying your necklace and then had fun watching you buying the CDs," he said.

"They're for Michelle," she defended herself a bit sheepishly.

"Uh-huh," he laughed. "Not buying it," he said and helped her to put on the necklace.

"Thank you!" she said, one hand lying over the necklace and the other on his knee.

"You're welcome," he smiled.

"You shouldn't have bought it though. That's way too much," she started.

"See it as a payment for the medical service," he said and pointed to his upper arm which was basically healed by now, due to the fact that Cam had kept a close look on it and had changed the bandages daily.

"Come here," she smiled and pulled his face down towards hers and kissed him softly.

"But you know that there's a condition tied to this necklace," he grinned then.

"No, I didn't know that. What condition?" she asked and let her hand rest against his neck so he would stay close.

"You can only wear the necklace with the wrap blouse. And it has to be_ me_ putting the blouse on and especially taking it off of you," he grinned devilishly.

"I intend to wear the blouse to work tomorrow, but I doubt we'll ever make it to the lab if you'll dress me. From what I gathered you're better at undressing me," she laughed and was happy when he kissed her in a way that made her forget all the doubts she had had before. Just for tonight at least.

~*~

The next morning Cam approached the platform where she could see Angela. She had read the reports the FBI had sent about the case and she had talk to Booth for a moment on the phone so she knew what she was dealing with but had yet to look at the body.

"Looks like someone took a flamethrower at a Sasquatch," she said when she looked at the body in front of her.

"Well, this is what he was supposed to look like," Angela said and held up a picture of a mascot that looked like an otter.

"Someone finally killed a mascot?" she asked just when Brennan's intern Vaziri entered the platform. "Mister Vaziri, do you have the X-Rays?" she asked him.

"Yes. I have never seen so many foreign objects in human remains before. Arrows, marbles, jacks, various coins, cutlery; my best guess is a nuclear explosion just as the victim entered the 99 cent store," he said and Cam tried not to laugh.

"Well, uh, close…He was shot by a blunderbuss, pelted by an angry mob and then burned," Angela informed him.

"Now that's what I call team spirit," Cam dead panned what brought her strange looks from both Angela and Vaziri. "I'm a wisecracking pathologist with a dark sense of humor," she excused her joke and knew that Hodgins would have found it funny.

"It was funny," Angela nodded but did not laugh.

When she was done with her first examination she went back to her office, got changed from her two piece work clothes back into her normal clothes and filled out the first reports so she wouldn't have to do that later. Meanwhile at the platform Hodgins had taken over and was freeing the body from everything that usually shouldn't be in a body together with Mr. Vaziri, who annoyed him because he had been the one who Brennan had told to call Cam, which had shortened their shower that morning immensely.

"This is a commemorative pin from the Chinese Olympics," he said and placed the object on another tray.

"It was in what's left of the victim's liver," Vaziri said.

"A ball-bearing…all this stuff is extremely common, nails, screws, bolts, washers, keys," Hodgins said when he looked over all the items on the different trays.

"What is this?" the intern asked and handed him another object.

"My guess, it's a USB drive," he said after he had taken a look at it.

"What kind of people would do this? Perfect human remains with household commonalities and refuse," he asked.

"I don't know…every bomber who ever lived?" Hodgins replied without thinking much about it.

"Did you make that comment simply because I am Muslim?" Vaziri asked and Hodgins saw his chance to get back at him for the ruined morning.

"You serious? Of course!" he said just sarcastically enough to leave it open to the interpretation if he was being serious or not.

"Timothy McVeigh, Ted Kaczynski, William Ayres, Mr. George P. Meteski, known as the original Mad Bomber," the intern listed but Hodgins had set his mind on revenge, just gave him a defiant look and turned away.

"It seems an insurmountable task, this. Each of these could have been the cause of death and yet we will not be able to trace it's…" Vaziri went on with his work.

"Trace it's? What?" Hodgins asked annoyed and turned around to face him.

"It's origin. This is a bullet," the intern replied.

"22 caliber," Hodgins said.

"A bullet says ''I wish to kill you'' much more clearly than an Olympic pin. Don't we agree?" Vaziri asked, obviously looking for some common ground.

"Yup," Hodgins just replied while he kept looking at the bullet and left the platform with it. He analyzed it quickly, wrote the report, printed it out, walked straight to Cam's office and opened the door without knocking, because he knew no one was around paying attention.

"Hey, you already changed," he said when he saw her sitting behind her desk in her white/green wrap blouse and grey skirt and noticed also that she wore the necklace.

"Yes, you helping me dress this morning was not working that well if you remember," she laughed.

"Undressing didn't work either," he grumbled and made her laugh again.

"What's this?" she asked and pointed with the pen she held in her left hand to the report.

"22 caliber bullet the intern just found in the victim," he replied and she got up and took the file from him, opened it and looked at the report and the pictures.

"Looks undamaged," she said and looked up at Hodgins. "And stop taking your bad mood out on Mr. Vaziri! Brennan made him call and she was right to do so," she told him.

"I am not taking anything out on him. Although I should…" he insisted which made her smile.

"Leave him alone. And now go scrape, swap or do whatever you have to do. I will go and tell Booth as long as he's here," she said, kissed him quickly and hurried out of her office because one never knew how long Booth and Brennan would stay at the lab.

"The bullet Arastoo found in the victim's remains was a 22 caliber, light and relatively undamaged," she told them when she walked into Brennan's office.

"Hmm, a pressure room fire cartridge," Booth agreed.

"Which is consistent with ROTC small arms…," she pointed out knowing that one of the kids had such a gun.

~*~

The next day Brennan and Booth brought in the sheets of the Beta Delta Sigma boys, much to Hodgins' delight. This was actually going through people's dirty laundry and he would get an idea of what was going on in their lives and in their beds without ever meeting them.

He hung up all the sheets on the platform, close to his work station so he wouldn't have to walk back and forth between the sheets and the computer. Still those were a lot of sheets and it would take him a while to analyze all of the traces on them because from a first inspection he knew that they weren't exactly fresh out of the washing machine.

"Hey, Dr. Hodgins, you need some help?" he heard and turned around with a smile on his face upon seeing Cam.

"Absolutely," he nodded and felt the need to touch her again. Maybe it would have been better to put the sheets up in his lab after all. Now they were standing in the middle of the room on a platform and there was no way he could discretely kiss her. With a small sigh he walked down the steps to his computer to get the things they would need to swap for traces and was surprised when she followed him.

"I forgot my glasses at your place last night. Can you bring them over tonight?" she asked quietly while he packed the liquids and pads.

"We're staying at your place tonight? I thought you wanted to try out that steam bath," he replied just as quietly.

"I really want to but Michelle complained about being alone every day," Cam admitted when he turned around to face her.

"We only spent the weekend and the last two nights at my place. She wasn't home anyway," he argued back.

"You're right but I don't want to fight with her. I'll make it up to you," she said and he sighed but nodded, squeezed her hand gently for a second when he handed her the gloves, Petri dishes and pads.

"Let the fun begin," he grinned then when they walked back up the stairs to the platform.

"It is wrong how excited you are about this," she laughed.

"Well, you can learn anything by looking at a person's sheets," he said and put his gloves on.

"I highly doubt that," she disagreed and put her gloves on as well.

"It's true. Just by looking at the sheets you can tell things he probably would never tell you," he said and started with his work.

"Like?"

"What products he uses, shampoo, lotion, nail polish and so on. Or if he showers at all," he grinned.

"Gross," she replied and scrunched up her face.

"Also you can tell if he had sex, with whom he had sex and how many people he had sex with. And if it's a guy and there weren't any tissues nearby you can most likely tell if he's left or right handed," he went on and raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"You make me miss my dead bodies at the moment," she replied and made him laugh with her expression of dismay. They worked quietly side by side for a while and every once in a while they would touch or bump into each other "accidentally".

"Ha!" Hodgins suddenly exclaimed and pulled her over by her arm to the sheet he was just working on.

"What?" she asked and had to smile at his excited expression and also because she knew he would tell her something disgusting.

"See this?" he asked and pointed to the outline he had drawn around some kind of stain that was visible because of the chemicals he had applied.

"Yes," she nodded, still slightly afraid what he might tell her.

"This is another something you can tell. By this stain here," he said and pointed to another one on the same sheet, "I can tell you that our Beaver was left handed and this one is the outline of his... you know," he grinned. "See you can even tell the size of the guy's… you know," he finished.

"Penis you mean, Dr. Hodgins. I am a coroner I have seen some and I use the word every time I have to autopsy a male person. No need to say "you know"," she said and smiled when he actually blushed a bit.

"I thought I'd be discreet," he said with a smile.

"For once? No need. Oh and you are left handed as well," she added randomly.

"You examined my sheets?" he gaped at her.

"Yes, that's the first thing I did," she replied sarcastically and rolled her eyes. "You write with your left hand," she told him then and pointed to the pen he was holding. His too analytical mind hadn't allowed him to even consider that option as the source of her information. He looked down at the pen in his hand, as if he needed to confirm it, and then he looked at her hands.

"You're left handed as well," he told her unnecessarily.

"Really?!" she just laughed and went back to work.

~*~

Three hours later Brennan was back at the lab and walked straight up to them to see if they had found anything.

"So, where you able to match sheets with boys?" she asked.

"Believe me, there was enough DNA on these sheets to paint a very clear picture of life at Beta Delta Sigma," Hodgins grinned.

"For example, these two boys were carrying on a sexual relationship with each other," Cam went on and pointed to some sheets.

"Yeah, and those two guys were sleeping with the same girl, although, refreshingly, not at the same time," Hodgins said and couldn't keep the mischievous look out of his eyes.

"What about Beaver?" Brennan wanted to know.

"Oh! Lots and lots of DNA," he replied gleefully.

"All of it, his own," Cam said and sounded maybe a bit disappointed.

"So there's no DNA on any of the sheets that could be Molly Briggs'?" she asked the two.

"Vaginal contributions were found on eight of the sets of sheets; none from Molly Briggs, but Dr. Hodgins did find something more than semen on Beaver's sheets," Cam said.

"Yeah, I found evidence of a vegetable-based Lanol, assorted liposomes, Sepigel, and micronized estriol," he replied and knew that Brennan couldn't have an idea what it was.

"Ointment," Cam translated because she had already been the one asking and she didn't see the point of making everyone ask 'What is that?'

"From the stains positions on the sheets, and its shape, which was approximately three inches long by 1 ¼ inch wide," Hodgins came to his favourite part.

"Okay, we get it!" Cam said and shot him a look so he wouldn't say 'you know' again.

"The substance appears to have transferred from the victim's penis directly to the bed sheet," he finished and looked directly at Cam when he said 'penis'.

"Adolescent males will use almost any available lubricant when masturbating," Brennan replied not really impressed by their findings.

"Even oestrogen cream?" Cam asked.

"More plausible scenario has got Beaver sexing it up at a different location, and then coming home to his own bed, naked, and I refer you again to the imprint," Hodgins informed Brennan with a smile.

"Sex with…," she started.

"An older woman, yeah, yeah, most likely menopausal," he clarified.

"Molly Briggs is twenty," Brennan remarked and knew that it couldn't have been Molly then.

"Also, I finished my autopsy and the bullet shot by Greg Harmalard was definitely not the cause of death," Cam told Brennan so she would have all new results.

"He was dead when it struck him?" the anthropologist asked.

"For at least 12 hours," Cam nodded.

"So we still have no cause of death?" Brennan asked and sounded frustrated.

"Well, I got a theory, kid died of dehydration, forgot to replenish his fluids," Hodgins provided with a grin and the looks both women shot him made it clear that his comment was disgusting and not appreciated.

~*~

After working with Mr. Vaziri that day and his random comment that Hodgins had found a way to estimate the height of the fall Cam knew that she needed to keep an eye on her favourite entomologist. He hadn't asked her yet if he was allowed to do an experiment, but she got suspicious when she saw all people leaving the platform and its surroundings in the evening. Quietly she snuck out of her office and stayed close to the dark walls so he wouldn't see her anytime soon and she could chose the time to strike wisely.

"This dummy's exactly the same weight as our victim, correct?" Hodgins asked Vaziri who was standing on the second floor railing with a crash test dummy.

"69.853 Kg, yes, and why are we the only ones here?" the intern asked confused.

"I, uh, asked everyone to leave. Ok, now, I have installed four sensors in the wrists and in the back of the spine so we should be able to gage the height from which the victim fell, within a few centimetres, after only a few trials," Hodgins replied.

"Why did you ask everyone to leave? Are we doing something shameful?" Vaziri asked and Cam got her answer as to why there were no more people in the room.

"Nah, it's just…last time I dropped something from up there, it bounced and injured An-" he stopped when Angela's name nearly slipped, "an innocent bystander, but nobody's here this time, so," he finished and leaned forward to his laptop so he could start the experiment. "Coccyx test number one, Dr. Jack Hodgins supervising," he said and Cam decided that this was the moment to stop him.

"No, no, no," she said when she made her presence known and walked towards Hodgins.

"Uh," he started but she interrupted him again.

"No," she shook her head.

"I…"

"No, no," she said again and reached him.

"But…," he tried to protest.

"No, stop! This is an unnecessary experiment. The height of the fall can be calculated mathematically," she told him finally and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"That is true, but I decided to humor Dr. Hodgins so we could bond over a project," the intern agreed and Hodgins shot him an annoyed look.

"Why do you need to bond?" Cam asked him and glanced suspiciously at Hodgins.

"He mistrusts Muslims," Vaziri replied and Cam turned back to Hodgins who nodded.

"Go grab a beer together, but I am saying no to this experiment," she told him.

"Yeah, I got that during the part where you said 'no', seven times in a row," he replied.

"I find that you don't pay attention during the first six," she replied and the reference to the morning after their first night together made him look at her with a small grin on his face, his eyes saying that he knew what she was referring to and he wanted to grab her and kiss her right there. Cam held his look for a moment and then walked away with a smile on her face.

"He can't drink beer, he's Muslim!" Hodgins called after her in mock annoyance but she didn't turn back around.

~*~

Hodgins walked into her office half an hour later with a paper in his hand that had the mathematical calculation on it so she could add it to the file and also tell Brennan, Booth and the rest who needed to know.

"First he interrupts us yesterday morning and today he turns out to be a fink," Hodgins huffed and plopped down on her couch while Cam looked at the sheet.

"He's not a fink, he was right. And you didn't check the experiment with me," she told him, reading the report.

"I thought I could just charm my way out of the consequences," he grinned at her.

"Good luck with that," she snorted. "You're staying here and we'll leave after I talk to Angela and Brennan?" she asked him then.

"Yup, make myself at home," he said and put his feet on the table what she only commented with a raised eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"Hodgins and Arastooo have an estimate of how far the victim fell," Angela said when she entered her office.

"1.37 meters onto a hard surface, Cam nodded.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Angela asked and Cam flinched, because she had hoped that she could just go home.

"Yup! Dr. Brennan is gonna stare at the bones until they speak to her," she nodded.

"So, rock, paper, scissors to see who stays to baby-sit her?" Angela asked and Cam was relieved that she had a slight chance to get out of this.

"Ok," she agreed and lost the first round.

"Yess!" Angela said in triumph.

"Best two out of three!" Cam decided, still wanting to go home already. She lost the second try as well though.

"Damn!" she exclaimed and knew that she had to tell Hodgins that he would have to go home without her.

"That means I'm leaving right now and wish you a nice night at the lab," Angela said gleefully and grabbed her bag. Cam sighed and followed the artist out of the office so she could lock it.

"Good night Angela," she said and walked to the 'Bone room' where she found Brennan already staring at the bones. Quietly she walked back to her own office and closed the door behind her.

"You have to go home alone tonight. I lost rock paper scissors against Angela and have to stay and watch Brennan," she said with another sigh and sat down next to him on the couch.

"Mh, everybody else is gone?" he asked and pulled her towards him, knowing that the blinds were drawn.

"Yeah, Angela just left. I have to call Michelle and tell her I'll probably spend the night at the lab," she said and wanted to get up to walk to her desk. He held her back though and handed her his cell phone.

"This is comfy," he shrugged when she shot him a questioning look and slid further down on the couch and leaned his head against her shoulder.

"You still have some work to do or you're staying here?" she asked him once she was done talking to Michelle.

"I always have work to do but as long as you're not throwing me out I'll just stay here," he replied and was surprised when she kicked off her shoes and then snuggled against him.

"Sometimes when I'm sitting here late at night for whatever reason I just want to go home, take a bath and wash the smell of death off of me," she said.

"You don't smell like death but like some expensive perfume," he replied and wrapped his arms around her. "Aren't there cameras in here?" he asked when it struck him again that she wasn't as opposed to them hugging or kissing in her office.

"Sure there are. But it's late and the only one seeing this tape will be the security guy and probably me if he sends it over for whatever reason," she replied.

"But if there are cameras in here why can I kiss you here and not in my own lab?" he asked her curiously.

"Because people are scared of me and would never walk into my office without knocking_ and_ waiting for a reply while usually everyone just waltzes into your lab," she explained.

"So, you're not actually worried about the cameras but about someone walking in on us?" he asked.

"Yes. Although I have seen some really compromising videos already and I am not really keen on staring in one myself," she smiled.

"I know, Angela showed me the storage area video," he said and an awkward silence spread between them. "Hey, I'm gonna visit Zack tomorrow. Do you wanna come?" he asked her then because he didn't know how to end the silence.

"No, I think I'll finally clean my apartment then but say hi to him from me," she replied and he could see that she was drawing back from him, not physically but emotionally.

"He knows. I told him," he said then and hugged her a bit tighter.

"You told him?" she asked and turned her head so she could look at him.

"Sure, no matter how nutty he is, he is still my best friend," he replied honestly.

"What did he say?" she wanted to know, the curiosity stronger than the awkwardness.

"Not much, something about anthropological factors, possibilities and so on," he smiled and kissed her neck when she turned her head back around.

"What is it with these anthropologists and their inability to act like normal human beings?" she asked him.

"Maybe they have to pass a test in college in social awkwardness?" he grinned and she laughed quietly.

"You really want to wait here with me? Knowing Brennan this can take all night," she asked him then.

"Would be the first night we spend together at the lab," he grinned and kissed her.

"Don't forget the cameras," she mumbled against his lips.

~*~

"Don't fall asleep," she said another two hours later when she felt his head getting heavier and heavier while he was leaning with his cheek against her hair. She was still in his arms and they had spent the time talking and cuddling on the couch.

"Mmh," was his only reply and when she looked up she saw that his eyes were closed and he was somewhere between here and dreamland. Slowly she got out of his arms and pressed a kiss against his forehead when he started to mumble something. She walked to the closet in her office, got a blanket out of it and took off his shoes before she covered him with it. She decided that she should check on Brennan and stopped by the coffee machine on her way and poured the anthropologist a cup of coffee. She was still working of course and didn't acknowledge her when she entered. So she let her work her way and left the bone room, stopped by the coffee machine again and poured herself a cup before she walked back to her own office. She left the door open this time, knowing that Brennan wouldn't come in and no one else was around. Looking at Hodgins she saw that he was still sleeping and so she decided to get some more of the paper work done that Hank Riley's case needed. It wasn't easy finding formulations that weren't exactly a lie but hid the fact that they had stolen a body from a wake. She twisted and turned the words, changed a word here and an expression there until she was certain that no one could guess from that report that they had stolen the body. She had just finished and wanted to start something else when she heard Brennan calling her.

"Cam?" Brennan called and Cam got up and quickly made her way to her, so she couldn't wake up Hodgins. "Booth'll want to know, I found cause of death," Brennan said and Cam was happy that she could finally go home.

"Alright!" she nodded and hurried back to her office where she picked up the phone and dialled Booth's cell phone number.

"Yeah?" came the sleepy reply.

"Hey, sorry I had to wake you but Brennan wants you to know that she found cause of death," Cam said with a smile.

"You're still at the lab?" he asked.

"Yeah, someone had to baby-sit Brennan while she was here and I lost rock paper scissors against Angela," she replied.

"Do I need to come in tonight?" he asked with a sigh.

"No, go back to sleep, you can't do anything at this time of night anyway," she said, looked at her watch and saw that it was more like early morning. 2 AM.

"And you send Bones home and then you leave yourself," he ordered.

"I will do that. Good night Seeley," she said.

"Good night Camille. Sleep tight," he replied.

"You too," she said and hung up. When she turned back to the couch to wake up Hodgins she saw that he was already up, sitting on the couch and looking at her. "We can go home, she found cause of death," she told him and couldn't really read his expression.

"You told Booth?" he asked and rubbed with both hands over his face like that could wipe the sleep away.

"Yeah, but he won't come in tonight. We really should go and get at least a few hours of sleep. I am so tired," she said, walked over to the couch and held her hand out so she could help him up. He took it but pulled her down in his lap instead and kissed her before she could protest.

"Now we can go home," he said breathlessly once they broke the kiss but she couldn't find anything teasing in his eyes. Actually quite the opposite, his expression was serious and slightly angry.

"Good, then let's go," she replied and looked questioningly at him which he just ignored and put his shoes on and folded the blanket.

~*~

"My car is that way," Cam said when they reached the underground parking space and pointed to the left.

"Mine's that way," he said and pointed to the right and yawned. "Sleep well," he said then, gave her a small wave and wanted to walk away but she stopped him by speaking.

"You're not coming over tonight?" she asked him quietly.

"I thought you were tired," he shrugged, his eyes looking to the ground.

"I am but you can still come over if you want," she said.

"Ok, I'll meet you at your place," he replied and it was more a question than a statement.

"See you at my place," she just nodded and walked off to her car with a small smile. Hodgins stayed for a moment and watched her walking away from him to her own car, which she wouldn't need if they would just drive together already. He knew that Booth had driven her to the lab more than once. With him it hadn't been a secret for weeks. He thought about just driving to his own place for a moment, but knew that it wouldn't help his mood. Maybe she was right and all they needed was some sleep.

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

**Seriously guys, where are you? Where are my readers and reviewers? Haven't heard from you in a while. I know I am not updating as regularly as I used to but there's a thing called life... Anyway, I'd love to hear from you again!**

**Thanks again to Melissa and Kim who are still working with although this thing seems to get longer and longer and longer....**

* * *

**Chapter 8: A baby, an earring and the big bang**

"A corpse in expensive wine and Fisher back in the lab. This week starts out great," Cam said sarcastically when she walked beside Hodgins into the Institute. They had arrived at the same time that morning because they had come from the same place but she was still insisting on driving separately.

"I kind of like Fisher," Hodgins shrugged.

"I'm shocked that you like any of the interns," Cam laughed and made her way to her office while he stopped at his work station. An hour later they met again when the body was propped up at the platform.

"Liquefactions suggests he's been there at least eight months," Cam said when she looked at the gelatinous mess in front of her while Hodgins stood to her left, Brennan to her right and Fisher on the opposite side of the table and was sifting through a wooden barrel that was filled with the liquefied remains of a human being and some very expensive wine.

"Scapula, clavicle," Brennan said.

"Fat globule," Cam went on.

"We're all just one step away from dissolving into the primordial ooze. Manubrium and ilium, " Fisher went on in his usual gloomy way and Cam shortly looked up to make sure that he had really said what she thought that he had just said.

"Rendered brain matter", Cam said.

"You got a sock, a belt," Hodgins provided with a bit too much enthusiasm when he pulled the belt out of the goo.

"Molar, lateral incisor and… canine," Brennan said and placed the parts onto a tray.

"And this is just goo," Cam finished the list of what they had found so far.

"Okay, I got a grommet, three nickels, and I am guessing a chocolate kiss," Hodgins said and looked at what he held in between the tweezers.

"Bingo! A chunk of liver, enough for a tox screen," Cam said and was glad that she had at least something to work with. She took it from his tweezers with her tweezers and avoided looking at him, because she knew that even though Fisher seemed like a weirdo, he was a very perceptive weirdo and he would surely not be discreet.

"My guess—you'll find a high alcohol content," Fisher said unnecessarily but no one reacted.

"Tibia," Brennan said and held up the large bone. "I've decided to have a baby," she added randomly while still staring at the bone and all the others stopped dead in their tracks and stared at her, which went totally unnoticed by her. "Capitulum," she said next and just went on with her work.

"Wait. Baby, like a small human?" Cam asked because she wasn't sure they were really talking about the same thing.

"Yes. I know I've had no interest in the past. But neither did you and you seem to find parenthood very fulfilling," Brennan answered and Cam was even more irritated.

"Uh, yes. I do. And you brought this up now… why?" she asked while Hodgins stood frozen beside her, still holding up the gooey shoe and watching the exchange with disbelieve.

"Well, I wanted to give you notice. I'll be needing some time off when the baby comes. About six weeks I imagine. The staining makes it very difficult to see any anomalies on the bones," Brennan said as if they were only discussing her new book or a new sweater she bought.

"Is there a father?" Hodgins asked slowly when he was finally able to speak again.

"Well, I'd like to use Booth's sperm," Brennan replied and the other three went into shock once again.

"Booth," Cam said and raised her head again and turned to Hodgins. "Whadda ya know?" she asked him wide eyed.

"If Booth doesn't work out, I donate my sperm monthly. I have a high IQ, excellent genetics, and motility. No emotional baggage. I'm kind of a catch," Fisher said to make matters worse while Brennan took pictures of the skull and Cam wrinkled her forehead.

"Okay. Down boy," Hodgins told him slightly unnerved. Had he really said that he liked this guy?

"Weren't we investigating a death?" Cam asked because she really just needed to process this. Just then Angela arrived and made a face when she saw the gooey mess.

"Oh, my God," she laughed when she saw the mess they were working with.

"Dr. Brennan wants to have a baby," Hodgins informed her immediately because he was sure that she did not know about that yet. Cam nodded with a smile that expressed clearly that she thought Brennan had lost her mind.

"I offered my sperm, but she's leaning more toward Agent Booth," the intern went on and Angela was looking at them like they had all lost their minds.

"You're joking, right?" she asked with a smile.

"Booth and I discussed it in Sweets' office. He's thinking it over now. Although, I don't understand why he'd be protective of his semen," Brennan said and Angela, Cam and Hodgins looked at each other in disbelieve and with open mouths. They knew that Brennan wasn't normal but that Booth was a part of this craziness made it even weirder. Hodgins even shook his head slightly and Cam kept staring at Brennan. "There are six evenly-spaced cavities along the sides of the frontal and parietal bones," she went on and then turned to Hodgins who was still starring. "Hand me that grommet you found," she told him but he didn't react.

"Uh," was the only sound he made because he had no idea what she had just said and Cam pointed to the requested item but he didn't notice.

"Grommet," Fisher whispered loudly.

"The grommet. Yes. Right. Mm-hmm. There you go," Hodgins said when he snapped out of his daze and handed the Petri dish to Cam who handed it to Brennan

"Thank you," Brennan said and went on working.

"I could get you my little swimmers at a substantial savings," Fisher said into the silence.

"Uh, Fisher, just scoop please," Angela told him, by now not only confused but also unnerved by his comments.

"Sure," he shrugged.

"He had a craniofacial implant," Brennan said after she had examined the grommet.

"The way they're spaced, they're positioned to secure a prosthetic hairpiece. Those are not very common," Cam said and was glad that for the moment they were back to work.

"I'll strain for the rug," Fisher said.

"If there's a missing persons report on the victim, it would definitely mention a surgical hairpiece. You can also replace the teeth in the mandible and confirm with dentals," Brennan told him and pulled off her gloves.

"Bren…" Angela started but Brennan had already walked off and so she turned to the others.

"We heard right, didn't we?" she asked them because she needed the confirmation.

"A baby. Yeah," Hodgins nodded and couldn't say more but looked to Cam for confirmation.

"With Booth," Cam added and nodded in his direction before she turned to Angela and didn't notice the look that passed over Hodgins face when he heard her voice.

Later when she was back at her own office she let herself fall into her red chair and took a deep breath. What was wrong at the Jeffersonian Institute these past several weeks? Why was everybody loosing their minds? Was it the weather? Something in the air? Had they been exposed to something and no one had notified them? Brennan wanted a kid with Booth, Angela was remaining celibate and she and Hodgins had started something that was doomed to fail. Most of the damage was done already, she couldn't stop any of it anymore, but maybe she could talk some sense into Booth before he would get hurt. And he would get hurt if he were to become a sperm donor. She knew Booth and she knew he wanted to be involved in every aspect of his kid's lives. He could never deal with it if Brennan excluded him, also because this kid would be Booth's dream. It was obvious for everyone that he was in love with his partner and now he would have a baby with her without being with her. This was craziness at its finest. She looked at her watch and decided that she would take an early lunch break that day. She grabbed her jacket and the new reports her team had just sent her and marched out of the Institute.

Half an hour later she arrived at the FBI building where she got her visitor's card and let the doorman call Booth so he would pick her up.

"The victim is Spencer Holt. Missing almost a year. He was a wine critic. Apparently he could destroy a vineyard with one review," she told Booth when they walked into his office another ten minutes later. She handed him the coffee she had picked up from the FBI while she had waited.

"Everyone likes a dead critic. I mean there's—we're going to have a lot of suspects," he said and sat down. "So, why are you here and why didn't you just send an e-mail?" he asked then, knowing that something was up when she drove all the way from the Jeffersonian to the FBI to give him a simple report.

"You and Brennan, you're going to have a baby?" she blurted out because she couldn't think of another way to ask this. There was no warning or tentative questions first. She was shocked and she wanted answers as well as convince him not to do it.

"She told you," he said.

"She told everyone. It's probably on the news by now," she replied and he could see how agitated she was.

"I'm just donating," he tried to make it sound smaller than it was.

"So you decided?" she asked, a hint of panic in her voice.

"No, no. I am deciding. I-N-G," he insisted but that didn't make it better for her.

"I know you, Seeley. You're going to do it. You want to do it without really doing it. But it's still doing it even if you're not doing it the way it should be done," she rambled and hoped he would get her point.

"She wants a kid, okay? It'll make her more personable with people," he said but it didn't convince her in the slightest.

"And what will it do for you?" she asked him.

"She'll get what she wanted," he avoided answering her question directly.

"A piece of you?" she made her point and raised her eyebrows, but he avoided looking at her and focused on the report instead.

"Oh, look at this. Okay, Holt's wife filed for a missing persons report. Now, I have to go tell her the bad news," he said and let her know with his avoidance that for him this discussion was over now.

"Sure," she just replied with a fake smile.

"You done?" he asked.

"Yes," she said and impatiently tapped her fingers against the leather chair in front of her while she tried to keep the fake smile on her face. There really was no point in talking to him when he was like this. The only one that could talk some sense into him if he was like this was Brennan, but this time she was his partner in crime and Cam had to get used to the fact that she couldn't do anything at the moment, as annoying as it was.

"Thank you," he said and left her standing there, her head hanging as well as her shoulders as soon as he was gone. He was too occupied with his own mess to realize that this hadn't been only about him. Cam needed someone to talk to and used his problems to talk to him at least about something. Usually Booth could read people, especially her, but not this time.

~*~

Back at the lab Hodgins and Fisher were straining the goop for evidence.

"You know when it doesn't contain human remains, Bedford Creek makes an excellent cab. It's very full-bodied. It's like an Australian Shiraz," Hodgins told the intern and tried to remember how many bottles of this wine he had at home.

"I only drink diet soda. I'm hoping the preservatives can add some stability to my life," Fisher replied.

"Here's a little pocket knife. And some glass fragments embedded in the fabric from his shirt," Hodgins said while he pulled the things out.

"There's some scraping on the anterior of this rib. I got a gouge on the third rib and one here on the sternum," Fisher went on.

"You think he was stabbed?" he asked.

"I can't tell from the incised edges, because the bones are soft and completely stained from soaking in the wine," the intern replied.

"Man, I can barely get wine stains out of my shirt, let alone a skeleton," Hodgins sighed.

"But your shirt isn't composed of calcium. Oh, my God. I can clean them. This is weird. Something good is happening," Fisher said and couldn't believe it that the world wasn't as dark as he had thought.

"Take a deep breath; I'm sure it'll pass," Hodgins teased him.

"The approximate weight of the bones is 12.43 kilograms. I'm gonna need 781 boxes of denture cleaner," Fisher calculated and Hodgins wondered if he was being serious. He just wanted to ask him when he saw Cam entering the lab, her handbag slung over her shoulder, her jaw tight and her steps wide and firm. She was annoyed or angry or both; that much he could tell. "I'm gonna ask Dr. Saroyan if it's ok if we clean the bones," Hodgins told Fisher and pulled off his gloves.

"I wouldn't go in there now, my friend," Fisher warned him but Hodgins just shrugged it off and walked to Cam's office, knocked twice and entered without waiting for her reply. "There he goes, poor guy," Fisher said with a sad expression before he turned his attention back to the bones.

"Hey, I was looking for you during lunch," Hodgins said carefully because he wasn't sure yet what made her so moody.

"Did we have a date?" she asked him while she was still looking for something in her handbag.

"No, not exactly. I just thought you'd tell me if you had other plans since we are always spending lunch break together," he said and walked farther into the office.

"I wasn't aware of the fact that I've got to tell you where I'm going," she snapped at him and pushed her bag away from her with a frustrated sigh. "Where the hell did I put my cigarettes?" she asked herself loudly.

"Will you stop snapping at me and tell me instead what is wrong," he said firmly and leaned against her desk, arms crossed in front of his chest.

"I didn't attack you," she huffed. Hodgins had enough now and walked over to the corner where she was standing and placed his hands on her upper arms.

"What is wrong?" he asked again and looked at her until she met his eyes. That's when she sighed deeply and shook her head.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to take this out on you. I just had a very frustrating talk with Booth if you want to call it that. He's completely lost it and he's really going to donate. He and Brennan will have a baby and it's just… it's wrong," she rambled and Hodgins let go of her.

"I don't understand why you're so upset about this. It's none of our business," he said and crossed his arms again.

"It absolutely is my business. Booth and I have been friends for a really long time and I care about him. And I know him: this baby isn't what he really wants. At least not that way," she said and saw the annoyed look on Hodgins face when she looked back up from her hands.

"What exactly is your problem? That they are going to have a baby together? That Brennan won't be at the lab for probably more than six weeks? Or are you wondering how your dad will react when he finds out that your boyfriend will have a baby with another woman?" he asked and was getting angry now.

"I just know that he won't be happy like this," she replied and her voice got louder.

"Why?" he wanted to know but she had no intention of telling him about Booth's feelings, his childhood and his opinions about family.

"I just know, ok?" she said. He just shook his head and looked to the floor. His jaw clenched tightly, arms crossed, icy blue eyes starring at the floor. "I'm sorry I took my annoyance about Booth out on you," she said after she had taken a deep breath. "It seems to happen a lot lately and I am really sorry. It's just… you're always seeking me out when I am in a bad mood. You should just stay away and let me calm down a bit," she said and sat down on her couch.

"I can't just let you deal with everything on your own when I see that you're upset," he replied and followed her to the couch.

"I don't want you to be my punching bag," she said softly and punched him lightly on the upper arm.

"It's ok," he replied and pulled her in his arms. He was upset as well now and needed that hug just as much as she probably did. What he needed most was reassurance. Though it seemed like she couldn't give him that at the moment and he had to take what he could get. He kissed her forehead before he kissed her lips and then looked at her. "Feeling better?" he asked her.

"You're even better than cigarettes," she grinned at him.

"And a lot healthier," he smiled back and was glad when she kissed him again. "Ok, I have to go back out. Fisher said he found a way to clean the bones," the told her.

"I'll stop by in a few minutes. Try not to destroy the lab in the meantime. It always means lots and lots of paperwork for me," she said when he stood up.

"We'll see each other tonight?" he asked when he had nearly reached the door.

"I'd like to have an evening to myself to be honest. Michelle will be at a friend's place and I just want to relax, put on a facial mask, blast some music, read crappy books and go to bed early," she said with an apologetic smile and this time he realized that she was literally putting space between them. "Tomorrow, ok?" she asked and he only nodded with a grim expression before he left her office.

~*~

Early morning the next day Fisher, Cam and Hodgins were standing around a large tank with the bones submerged in water. Fisher then got on a small ladder and dumped lot of white tablets into the tank and the water started to fizz.

"Is that what I think it is?" Cam asked Hodgins.

"Were you thinking sodium perborate and potassium monpersulfate?" he asked back.

"Actually, I was thinking Nana Shirley's teeth," she replied.

"More like 781 sets of Nana Shirley's teeth," Fisher let her know.

"Fisher says this will remove the staining from the bones," Hodgins told her, also to make it clear that this hadn't been his idea.

"Could. I said could. There is no certainty but death and the incomprehensible conundrum that is life," Fisher insisted.

"Fisher, have you ever just taken a moment to forget yourself? Watch, like, the Three Stooges and just laugh?" Cam asked him and looked at him over the tank.

"Yeah, I never found humor in grown men giving each other concussions with construction equipment," he dismissed it.

"I tried," Cam said turning to Hodgins. "Tox screen on the remnants of the liver was inconclusive," she went on and handed him the liver in a box.

"Yeah, the vinegar will obscure just about everything," he replied and put down the box.

"But I did find some inorganic agents mixed in with the liquefied tissue. Might help us find cause of death," she went on while Hodgins kept looking at the tank.

"I think I found stab wounds on the ribs and sternum. We'll know more if we can clean the stains," Fisher said and all three kept looking at the tank and the bone fragments that were swimming around in it. When Fisher turned around to put the empty teeth cleaner boxes away Cam glanced over to Hodgins, but he refused to look at her and turned around at one point so she was facing his back. She glanced at Fisher to make sure he was still busy with the boxes and then placed a hand on Hodgins shoulder.

"Can we talk for a moment?" she asked him quietly and took her hand away when Fisher turned around for a second.

"Sure, talk," Hodgins shrugged without turning around and fiddled with some reports.

"Not here. My office in ten minutes?" she asked him and saw him nod before she left the lab and went to her office.

She closed the door behind her and sat down at the couch with a heavy sigh. She honestly didn't know what his problem was this morning. Was he really angry that she had wanted to spend a night alone? The first night in over a month that she wanted to have to herself. He had seemed fine when she had told him last night and she was honestly confused by his cold and stand-offish behavior.

"You wanted to talk to me?" he said when he entered the office and left the door open.

"Yes," she nodded and waited for him to close the door, but he just crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited. "Would you shut the door please?" she requested and he closed it but didn't move further into the room. "Are you angry about last night?" she asked him then.

"Why would I be angry about last night?" he replied, his arms still defensively crossed in front of his chest.

"I don't know, you tell me," she replied, getting annoyed by his attitude. He remained silent and looked at her in a way that was explaining more than enough. She sighed and walked towards him, took his wrists and uncrossed his arms. "I missed you last night," she said and stepped closer to him, so close their chests nearly touched.

"You wanted to spend the night alone," he replied, his arms hanging down at both sides.

"I needed some time for myself, to think, to adjust... it's all a bit too much at the moment," she admitted.

"You don't need to justify anything. It's not like I was sitting at home waiting for you to call," he shrugged.

"Good, I didn't want you to. Did you go out?" she asked and tried not to show that she didn't like the thought of him going out alone with god knows whom.

"Yes," he said but didn't elaborate. She had enough of this now and refused to ask.

"Why don't we go out together tonight?" she asked him and looked him in the eyes.

"I don't know, maybe I need some time to myself tonight," he replied in a voice that made her smile. He sounded like a pouting little kid and a wave of affection ran through her.

"Please, go out with me tonight," she asked with a smile and cupped one side of his face with her hand, feeling the stubble against her palm.

"You dress up and we're going out for dinner. We've never done that," he started and she nodded quietly. "You are spending the night at my place," he said and again she nodded. "And tomorrow morning we're driving to work together," he requested and she froze.

"Hodgins..." she started but he didn't let her finish.

"In one car," he said and the look on his face made it clear that she could say yes to that or no to them. It was one or the other and nothing in between. Maybe this was the moment to end it, she thought. But then again, she just couldn't…

"Ok," she finally nodded and secretly hoped that no one would notice tomorrow morning, especially not Angela. She was rewarded for her answer when he kissed her softly and slung his arms around her waist.

"We're ok?" she asked him and raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"We're ok," he replied and kissed her again.

~*~

After he had left she found herself sitting at her desk and staring off into space while she thought about it all. Maybe he was right, she thought, and it was time for them to come out in the open and tell the others at the lab. She couldn't stop worrying though, about what would happen when Angela would find out. So far she had always been the one with the new relationship and Hodgins had been jealous. Would she be jealous? Would she be angry for Cam sleeping with yet another of her exes'? Would she try to win him back? Because if she would Cam was sure that she didn't stand a chance. She knew that the second Angela hinted that she would take Jack back he would go back. And that would be so much easier to deal with for everyone at the lab if they would keep their relationship (fling…affair?) a secret. After all everyone was meddling in everyone's business and she bet that Booth wished Brennan would just have kept her mouth shut about the baby thing. Now they had to deal with everyone giving their opinions and she doubted that was easy. Yes, this whole thing was crazy and no, it could never work, but wasn't it their own private thing? And wasn't it the same thing for her "thing" with Hodgins? She sighed and decided to stay out of Booth's business now. If he wanted to donate sperm to have a baby with Brennan she would accept that and support them in any way she could. And she would also be there for him when the whole affair would fall apart and he would need a friend, just as he was always there for her. Seems like they would need each other's friendship in the near future she decided and realized that maybe it was time for her to finally get some work done.

~*~

She was still sitting at her desk working when Angela entered a while later.

"I tried to talk to Brennan about that whole baby thing. She won't listen to me," the artist said and sounded frustrated.

"Neither will Booth. Guess all we can do is board up the windows and hope the levees hold," she said and thought that they would need to board up the windows good because this wouldn't be the only storm coming.

"It's none of our business," Angela came to the same conclusion as she had done earlier.

"Exactly right," Cam agreed whole heartedly.

"Oh, that kid is gonna be so cute, though," Angela gushed a second later.

"Please, we're gonna go nuts," she agreed again and had to laugh about their sudden excitement.

"I bought it a little onesy today," Angela admitted and Cam was just melting at the thought of it when Hodgins entered the lab and looked surprised for a second to find Angela there.

"I got the results back on the inorganic goo," he said and sounded way more upbeat than earlier this day. He put the file on Cam's desk and picked up her remote for the computer. "Contains calcium arsenates," he said then.

"Arsenic," Cam said and for once had an idea what he was talking about.

"Yeah, it was on his clothes and mixed in with the tissue," he replied.

"So, he was poisoned?" Angela asked confused because she was still clueless.

"This isn't a high enough concentration to kill him," Cam said looking at Hodgins, and when their eyes met they knew that they were thinking the same thing. Angela looked confused, eyes darting from one to the other and wasn't able to label those smiles.

"Booth said Holt's wife worked with wood building playsets? Arsenic is used in stains and wood preservatives. It's tough to wash off," Hodgins said looking into Cam's eyes hoping he wasn't being too bold.

"So Jenny Holt found out her husband was cheating on her, stabbed him, and left us a chemical fingerprint," Cam said their scenario out loud and grinned back at him.

After Hodgins' mood had improved significantly and he was done muttering and cursing under his breath and in his mind he was able to concentrate on his work and get some things done. He was not only relieved but actually really happy that Cam had agreed to drive with him to work tomorrow. They would finally stop sneaking around and he would be able to show everyone that they were more than just colleagues. He was surprised that she had really agreed to it and he was basically flying through the lab now, quietly humming while he got his work done.

"All of the injuries to the ribs and sternum had silica embedded in them which matched all of the glass shards found in the wine cask and on Holt's clothes," Hodgins said later when he was standing with Angela, Fisher and Brennan in the bone room.

"Yes, these injuries to the ribs and sternum," Brennan said and turned to Angela "Can you connect the impact points?" she asked her.

"Why, you think Holt's wife was making a design when she was attacking him?" Angela asked because she didn't understand what Brennan was getting at.

"There are three main impact points. What if they were a circular pattern?"

"Okay, well, a circumference…," Angela said and showed it on the 3Dmodel on screen. "The circle is nine and a half inches," she said.

"What is the circumference of a wine bottle?" Brennan asked.

"My guess, nine and a half inches," Hodgins grinned.

"Yeah, let's see. Yep, nine and a half inches," Angela checked his assumption on the computer.

"Okay, get some Bedford Creek wine. See if the bottle was sufficient to cause these injuries and the hemorrhagic staining at the coronal suture," Brennan told them and they all left the room.

"You know, a watermelon is the same density as the human head," Fisher told Hodgins when he walked out beside him.

"Oh, I like the way you think, Fisher," Hodgins laughed and thought that this day which had started out so crappy was definitely getting better and better. First another experiment and then a date with Cam. Life was good.

They dove head first into the preparations for the experiment after the bottle had arrived and lined up melons on the table in Hodgins lab. He knew that he was already running a bit late because he still needed to shower and change for his date, but the experiment was just too tempting.

"Hmm, it's confirmed by the modeling. Yep, the shards of glass found in the cask have the same thatch design as the base of the Bedford Creek bottles," Hodgins told Fisher.

"So, we know the bottle was from Bedford Creek. Then we don't have to do the experiment," the intern replied but didn't look happy when he said it. Then again, when did Fisher ever look happy?!

"We have all the melons already, you know, and the bottles…" Hodgins replied.

"Confirmation would be beneficial," Fisher agreed.

"We'd be remiss if we didn't confirm," the entomologist said just for reassurance.

"Yeah," Fisher replied and they grinned at each other before they pulled their goggles down over their eyes and Hodgins grabbed the bottle.

"Sorry, Mr. Holt," he apologized and slammed the bottle into the melon. While the melon was completely smashed the bottle stayed intact though.

"That bottle was supposed to break," Fisher remarked.

"Yeah, otherwise, the injuries make no sense. You're sure a melon has the same density as a human head?" Hodgins asked.

"Would I waste our time? Give me that," Fisher said and took the bottle out of Hodgins hands and slammed it happily into the next melon. "I enjoyed that too much, didn't I?" he asked when he was done and looked guilty.

"It's important to love your work," Hodgins reassured him. "Maybe she hit him with the narrow end," he said, grabbed the bottle again, turned it around and smashed it into the next melon. Same result.

"She was a carpenter, more strength," Fisher said, let out a primal yell and slammed the bottle into another melon just as Cam walked into the lab, dressed in a violet dress, obviously ready for their date. The melon guts flew into her face and onto her dress before Hodgins could even react. She didn't say anything but just looked disgusted and gave them both a look that said clearly that they were in trouble. Then she started to pick the melon off herself while they watched her guiltily.

"I was going out to dinner," she said and Hodgins knew that this comment was meant for him and not as random information. Would she really cancel their date because of this?

"Would you like a towel?" he asked her carefully, still testing the waters.

"Very much," she replied and threw some more melon on the floor before Hodgins handed her the towel.

"The Bedford Creek bottles, they wouldn't have broken," he told her to show her that the experiment hadn't been just for fun.

"But it would have smashed his skull," Fisher dared to speak.

"But you said the design you found on the glass confirmed that it was a Bedford Creek bottle," Cam replied, still trying to wipe away the melon guts.

"Yeah, but… these bottles wouldn't have provided the injuries that we found," Hodgins said.

"So… after all this, we have no weapon or cause of death?" Cam asked and got blank looks in reply. "Okay," she said and threw the towel at Hodgins before she turned on her heels and walked out.

"Whoops," Fisher said when she was gone while Hodgins still looked after her. He wasn't really sure what to do, but then decided to be pragmatic. They would have their "outing" the next day anyway so why should he care if Fisher got suspicious?

"You clean up here and I go and save our jobs," he told the intern and hurried out after Cam. She was already in her office when he reached her and stood in front of the sink where she wet another towel. "I'm so sorry," he said when he entered but couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice.

"Why don't I believe you?" she asked rhetorically and wiped the melon out of her face and then tried to wipe away the stains on her dress.

"You look beautiful," he grinned, came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Ahh, so you're trying to charm your way out of this one, huh?" she asked him and he could hear in her voice that she wasn't really angry anymore. He chuckled and buried his face in her neck before he playfully scraped the skin of her neck with his teeth and then soothed it with his lips and tongue.

"Mmh, you taste like melon," he whispered when he tasted the fruit on her skin. "Tasty." With his hands on her hips he turned her around and kissed her in a way that made her forget her annoyance and she melted against him.

"I need to change," she said huskily once they broke the kiss.

"Once the stains will have dried no one will see them anymore. It's just water," he said and he glided with one finger along the seam of her dress at her décolleté. "But I need to change before we go out. You wanna come to my place and wait there? I won't be long," he asked her.

"Ok," she agreed and kissed him again before they separated to pack their things and then drove in their own cars to Hodgins place.

~*~

When Jack arrived at his place Cam was already waiting for him, leaning against her car which was parked by the house. Hodgins smiled when he saw her standing there and quickly got out of his own car.

"Breaking and entering, you learned that in the Bronx or as a cop?" he asked her and grinned before he kissed her quickly.

"You told me the security code so it's your own fault," she replied while they walked hand in hand up the few steps to the door which he unlocked and opened. "And the birth date of Percy Bysshe Shelley?" she asked and he looked surprised.

"You know, conspiracy is everywhere, even in poetry," he grinned and made her roll her eyes. Together they walked up the stairs to his bedroom with adjourned bathroom. While Hodgins walked into his closet and took out the clothes he needed, Cam slipped out of her shoes and lay down on the bed and let her legs dangle over the edge.

"Where are we going to?" she asked him.

"A great Indian place if you don't mind," came his muffled reply before he walked back out of his closet and saw her sprawled out on his bed. "Or we could just stay here," he said, threw his clothes on the side of the bed and lay down on top of her.

"No way, I'm hungry," she protested between kisses and finally shoved him playfully off of her. "Go shower before I remember the melon incident," she grinned but pulled him down to her once more to kiss him. With a sigh he made his way into the bathroom and she grabbed the remote from the nightstand and switched on the TV.

The episode of Friends was nearly over when Hodgins opened the bathroom door slightly and lurked out, holding toilet paper to his right hand.

"Hey can you hand me a band-aid? I cut myself on the stupid razor blades," he asked her and she sat up.

"Sure if you tell me where I can find them," she shrugged and looked at his hand but it didn't seem too bad.

"In one of the nightstands somewhere," he said while he tried to buckle his belt with one hand while he still pressed the toilet paper to it with the other. Cam opened first the nightstand on "her" side, the left side. She found her glasses which she had forgot here, her book and a lip gloss. She closed the drawer again and opened the one on his side. Beside some Kleenex, a box of condoms and the box with the band-aids she found something else, an earring. She knew this earring, knew it too well, because she had helped look for it not too long ago.

Angela had come to her and had asked her if she had seen her earring. Together they had searched the Institute one night because she was the last one left and she had come to know that Hodgins had helped Angela with getting over Roxie when the artist had told her that she could have lost the earring in the storage area for the Egyptian exhibit. She saw the earring on Angela's ear in her mind and then looked back down at the small white shell that reflected the dim light in the room.

She had known it; it wasn't a surprise and shouldn't hurt that way. She had always reminded herself that Hodgins was still in love with Angela and would probably always be. However seeing that earring, knowing that he kept it after sleeping with her, after she had hurt him again… she could feel tears well up in her eyes and tried to blink them away before they could escape. She tried to take a deep breath but it felt like something heavy was lying on her chest and she was still staring at the earring. Her earring. The one he had kept. Because he was still in love with Angela. Not her.

"You found them?" he asked from the bathroom, completely oblivious and snapped her out of her daze. Slowly she closed the drawer and took out both the band aids and the earring. When she turned around she saw him leaning at the doorway, his bleeding hand now pressed to his mouth, his grey shirt unbuttoned, wearing only one sock.

"Yes," she nodded but handed him the earring instead.

"Where did you find this?" he asked and looked confused at the earring in his hand.

"In the drawer next to the band aids," she replied and her voice was even, calm, dead.

"You know… Angela… after the, uhm… I wasn't…" he stuttered and didn't know what to say. Why hadn't he given back the damn earring?

"I know," she replied. "I should go now," she added then because there was no way she could go to dinner with him. She had known it all along but this was the moment she had to face it and stop lying to herself.

"Why? Cam, please, this doesn't mean anything," he said and tried to take her hand but she stepped back.

"We both know that it does mean something. Why should we start lying now? We both knew this was only a temporary thing and now is the moment to end it, go back to being friends," she said and tried her hardest not to show how much she was hurting.

"Temporary? This wasn't just a fling," he shook his head vehemently and felt the anger bubbling up inside of him. He wouldn't let her talk this down. Maybe it had been for her, but it surely wasn't for him.

"Oh please, we both know you're still not over Angela and that earring is proof of that," Cam replied, angry now as well.

"And you're not over Booth, so I guess we're even," he spat back.

"Booth?" Cam exclaimed and laughed humorlessly. "You're crazy and I won't let you put this on me. You're the one with the earring in his nightstand," she yelled back.

"I put it there and I forgot about it, so what? I was never ashamed of you or insisted on sneaking around at the lab. You were the one always worried about what the others might think, and that the cameras won't see us. You weren't so damn careful when you were with Booth," he yelled as well.

"Maybe because Booth's ex who he is still in love with him doesn't work at the Jeffersonian," she replied and threw the box with the band aids that she still held in her hand against the bathroom wall.

"This isn't about Angela or about Angela and me! This is you trying to find a way out of this without being the one to blame. God forbid Dr. Saroyan being wrong or weak for once," he said.

"I've had enough, I'm going home," she replied, grabbed her purse and jacket from the bed, put her shoes back on and hurried out of the room. Hodgins stared after her until he heard the front door slam shut. He looked down at his hand and saw the earring still lying in his palm. With a frustrated growl he threw it in the general direction of where the band aids lay and leaned his back against the doorway, running one hand through his still slightly damp curls. For a second he thought about going after her but then he remembered his own advice, _let her calm down, you can't talk to her now anyway._

~*~

The next morning he was at the lab really early. He hadn't been able to sleep anyway and so he had got up at five in the morning, had gone for a run, taken a shower and went to the lab. He somehow sensed it when Cam entered the Institute although he had not seen her. However the atmosphere changed and people who had been standing around before were now actually working. Fisher was working with him again this morning and he wished he could just go to her and explain, apologize… just do something so they would be good again. However this time he didn't have the courage to just waltz into her office, door closed or not.

Once he had analyzed the bottles he send Fisher to tell the others that he had found something and sent the report via email to Cam with a urgent notice attached to it.

"Where are the others?" Cam asked when she arrived at his work space a few minutes later without greeting him. She crossed her arms in front of her chest while she stood to his right and Fisher raised his eyebrows at the tension between them. Brennan arrived a second later though and Angela wasn't far behind so he didn't have to answer.

"The bottles were counterfeits," he said instead.

"Counterfeit?" Brennan asked.

"Yep. Even though the design was the same, the glass found in the cask had a lower concentration of dolomite and magnesium dioxide than the real Bedford Creek bottles," he went on but was lacking his usual enthusiasm over his findings.

"Someone's been counterfeiting Bedford Creek Cabernet," Fisher said.

"A bottle of Bedford Creek sells for over a hundred bucks," Angela added.

"So, if someone fills counterfeit bottles with cheap wine and ships out a couple thousand cases saying it's from Bedford Creek, they could make some serious money," Cam concluded and looked away when Hodgins turned his head to look at her.

"Yeah, exactly. Now, I also found that the arsenic compound I thought was from the stain contains parathion," he said to Brennan and saw that she was understanding him now

"Okay, we don't know what that means," Cam said in a sharper tone than usual.

"It's an organophosphate used as an insecticide," Brennan explained while Hodgins remained quiet.

"The only vineyard in the area licensed to use it by the EPA is Dunwood Winery," he had to go on when Brennan didn't.

"Charles Dunwood," Brennan said like it was the most obvious thing in the world and hurried off. Cam didn't wait a second longer before she walked into her office. Hodgins waited until Angela was gone as well, then he grabbed a folder that sat by his keyboard.

"Dr. Saroyan forgot that here, she'll need it for the final reports," he said to Fisher and used the excuse to walk into Cam's office, although he knew that the folder didn't contain anything but blank sheets of paper. Without thinking about it he just opened the door and found her slumped in her red desk chair.

"Can't you knock for once?" she snapped at him when he entered and didn't even wait for him to close the door.

"Can we talk please?" he asked her.

"You found more proof for the case?" she asked him with raised eyebrows.

"I didn't say I wanted to talk about work," he replied and threw the folder onto her desk in frustration.

"That's all we're talking about from now on," she said.

"Look, I know you're angry because you found that earring in my drawer and you have every right to be, but I want you to know that it doesn't mean anything," he said and sat down on the edge of her desk. He tried to catch her eyes and was relieved when she finally looked at him. He was surprised when she did look calm.

"I am not angry, Jack," she said with all the self control she had. She knew that she had to do this. She had prepared herself for that talk last night and she had come to the conclusion that it wasn't his fault that she had fallen in love with him while he was still in love with his ex. If she would show him now how much she hurt they could never go back to a normal work relationship. She could do this, she was a strong woman and she could make sure that at least one of them would be happy. And maybe after a while she would be able to be happy again as well. She had Michelle, she had work, she had a good life. She had every reason to be happy even without him. "I just think that finding that earring was kind of a sign, if you want to call it that. We both know that what we had wouldn't last. I enjoyed it while we had it, but now it's over and I think it's time for you to face the fact that you're still in love with Angela," she said and held one hand up when he wanted to say something. "You kept that earring for a reason, if you are aware of it or not. Angela has been alone now for a while. She's figuring out what she wants in life and this might be the right time for you to try and get her back. There are no hard feelings from my side, I want you to know that," she finished her speech and had really made it while looking him in the eyes the whole time.

"So this is it? I don't get to defend myself or say something?" he asked quietly.

"What is there left to say?" she asked him. _So much,_ he thought but looking into her calm brown eyes he knew that it wouldn't make any sense. Where was the point in telling her how he felt when she obviously didn't care enough to give him a chance to explain?

"You're right, there's nothing left to say," he nodded, his voice slightly hoarse and then got up, left her office and closed the door behind him. He couldn't see it when Cam's face scrunched up in pain or when she squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her lips tightly together so she wouldn't start crying right there.

~*~

She hadn't thought that the day could take a turn for the worse after that talk but when Brennan had called from the hospital it definitely had happened. Immediately after the call she hurried to the hospital and was there before Sweets, Hodgins and Angela who all arrived after her. They waited quietly for a while and while Sweets was pacing the room the other three sat in their chairs and stared blankly ahead.

Hodgins sat a few chairs down from Angela, opposite from Cam. He kept looking at both of them, turning Cam's words in his head. It had felt so right when they had been together but now he knew that he had deluded himself once more to think that a woman loved him like he loved her. He had thought that Cam would come around, that they could overcome Booth and her worries about people in the lab. But then, just like Angela she had taken the first escape. He thought he had learned, thought that if he would just talk to her, do the thing that he hadn't done with Angela, that he could rectify everything. Yet, here he was and could see how worried she was and how much she tried to keep it all together and he couldn't help her.

Did she really think that he should be with Angela? Maybe this was the second chance he had hoped for all those months ago, before Roxie had come into the picture. Maybe he had to lose Cam like she had lost Roxie so they could be together again? Was he losing his mind? Should he just try? What had he left to lose?

He looked up when Cam left the room and followed her with his eyes until she was out of sight. Sweets and Angela wouldn't notice this time, they were just too worried to pay attention to him. Should he follow her? But what for?

"They should have the CAT scan results by now," Sweets said, sill pacing in the room.

"They're getting a second opinion," Cam who just came back, answered and sat down again, further away from him than before.

"Well then the other doctor should have been standing by," Sweets replied.

"Are you alright, Sweets?" Angela asked him worriedly and Hodgins was reminded of why he had fallen in love with her back then.

"No, no, I'm not. I'm not the—the level-headed shrink at the moment… I'm just the guy whose friend is in trouble, and I'm having a hard time dealing with it," he said honestly and for a split second Cam looked to Hodgins and their eyes met. "Okay? I'm sorry," Sweets went on and Hodgins looked to the floor. Why couldn't he help her, be there for her? _Because she saw him as a fling and treated him that way now, that's why_, he reminded himself. "I just need a moment," Sweets excused himself and walked away while Cam shut her eyes to keep her self control.

"Sure," Angela said to Sweets and Hodgins slid into the chair next to her. He had made his decision and he needed to talk about it now while he still had the courage. It wasn't like she cared.

"Man, just when you think you know what's what," he said and stared straight ahead. He could see Cam playing with her fingers out of the corners of his eyes. He knew she was listening, but this was too important to wait. "Man, we can't take anything for granted, can we?" he asked Angela. Not health, happiness, love...

"Why is it so easy to forget that?" she asked him as he turned his head to look at her, breaking the gaze and averting his eyes, deep in thought. He had to do this now, this was his last chance. _Maybe Cam was right_, he told himself again and again. And if she was right this was probably the last chance he got.

"Ange, when we split, either one of us could've stopped it," he said and looked up for a second. "It would've been easy," he went on and looked down to his hands again. With Cam it hadn't been easy.

"I know," Angela agreed and turned her head to look at him.

"It would be just as easy," he said and halted, swallowed hard "... to begin again," he went on and their eyes met. Before Angela could reply or he could read her expression Brennan was back in the room finally and Cam and Sweets had already stood up

"They think it's a cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma," she said and a look to Cam showed him that that wasn't good.

"Oh, God, that sounds bad," Sweets exclaimed.

"Brain tumor. It's usually benign," Brennan said but she didn't look like Booth had something benign.

"Usually," Cam agreed and put one hand under her chin like she needed to hold her head upright.

"They're prepping him for surgery now," Brennan said and Cam put a hand on her chest, trying to sooth the pain she felt but it didn't help.

"Wow. So fast," Hodgins said surprised.

"They didn't want to take any chances," Brennan replied.

"Go. He shouldn't be alone before he goes in there, Brennan," Angela told her.

"I just wanted all of you to know… statistically, he should be fine," Brennan said and choked up. Everyone nodded while Hodgins looked thoughtfully at her, his eyes going from the floor up to her face and back down. Angela hugged her while the others watched and Cam had to close her eyes again. "This isn't about me," Brennan said when she disengaged and then walked away from them. Hodgins looked at Cam saw her clasped hands and put his hands on his hips. Should he have fought harder for her?

Cam looked to the floor and concentrated on standing, just standing. Her heart beat too fast and her legs felt wobbly, her head hurt and her eyes stung. She knew that she should wait here until the surgery was over but she couldn't do it.

She grabbed her purse from the chair behind her and said "Call me when he's out," before she hurried out of the room, out of the hospital. She didn't even wait for the elevator but basically ran down the stairs. She had the key to her car still in her pocket and fumbled a bit to unlock it in the dimly lit parking garage. When she closed the door behind her she couldn't hold it all together anymore and started sobbing violently. Why did Hodgins have to do this? Why did he have to get back together with his ex girlfriend while she was in the room? Couldn't he see how much she was hurting? Was she such a good actress? Was he just not able to read her? Or did he just simply not care? Her headache was getting worse because of her desperate crying. After ten years she had fallen in love again now her whole life was a mess. Hodgins was back with Angela, Seeley was really sick and she was suddenly the mother of a snotty sixteen year old. How could she do this? She did not know and decided for once to just give up and cry.

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

Here we go, next chapter!

I'm a bit nervous about this one because this is the first chapter that isn't based on any episode, which means I'm on my own with this one... Hope you like it and hope you tell me if you do... or don't!

Thanks as always to my betas...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All characters belong to Fox.. or whoever owns them exactly

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**Chapter 9: Funny penguins and not so funny dates**

When Michelle arrived at home she was surprised that the TV was on and she found her legal guardian huddled up on the couch, a nearly empty bag of chips on the table, two chocolate wrappers beside it as well as several tissue balls. Cam's eyes were suspiciously red and puffy, her lips pressed together and that she wore black jogging pants and a large grey T-shirt didn't help her appearance either. While she still took in the picture Michelle lowered her backpack to the floor right beside the door and quietly took off her shoes.

"Hey Cam," Michelle greeted her cautiously, but Cam didn't turn her head in her direction and kept staring at the TV screen.

"Why can't you put your shoes and you backpack in your room where they belong? I'm tired of cleaning up after you all the time," Cam snapped at her and on any other day Michelle would have argued back and they would have fought, but today she decided to do as she was told and then find out what was going on.

"What happened?" she asked without further ado when she came back out of her room and sat down on the edge of the red couch. She looked intently at Cam, who ignored it at first but then sighed heavily and turned her head to face her for the first time that day.

"Crappy day," she sighed and bit her lip when her eyes started to tear up because another wave of sadness rolled over her when she thought of the day's events. Michelle carefully pushed her outstretched legs off the couch and forced her into a sitting position so she could sit down next to her but Cam refused to_ really _sit up and just let it happen.

"And I ask again: What happened?" Michelle said and rolled her eyes.

"I got a call today from Dr. Brennan. She told me that Seeley was hallucinating and that she was taking him to the emergency room. When we all got there we had to wait for hours and then the doctors found out that he has a brain tumor. They put him right into the operation room and the surgery is still going on as we speak," she recounted like a robot.

"Oh my god, will he be ok?" Michelle asked worriedly and placed a hand on Cam's arm.

"Statistically he should be fine," Cam repeated Brennan's answer from earlier that day and stared off into space.

"See, he'll be fine," Michelle said encouragingly and soothingly stroked over Cam's arm.

"Yeah," Cam said tonelessly and nodded. Michelle looked at her for a moment and although she had just re-met her former step-mother-to-be she knew that Cam was holding something back and the thing with Booth wasn't all.

"What else happened?" she finally asked and her suspicion was confirmed when she saw on Cam's facial expression that she was fighting the tears again.

"Hodgins and I," Cam started and hesitated a moment before she went on, "won't be seeing each other anymore, at least not outside of work," she finished.

"You broke up?" Michelle exclaimed.

"No, we… there wasn't anything to break up really," Cam replied.

"Oh come on," Michelle groaned and Cam looked at her surprised. "Why can't you just admit that you were a couple and now you broke up? What's so bad about that?"

"There's nothing "Bad" about it, it's just not true," Cam insisted stubbornly.

"So what, you were just randomly having sex and now you decided you don't want each other anymore?" the teen said bluntly.

"Michelle!" Cam exclaimed and she looked stunned at the teen.

"What? I'm sick of that crap! Why can't you just admit it? He was here all the time, spent nearly every night here. He cooked for us and ate with us. His toiletries are in the bathroom and his clothes in our washing machine and still you're saying he was just some random guy you slept with? That's not true and we both know it," Michelle ranted annoyed.

"Ok, yes, I admit it. He was more than just some random guy and yes, I've fallen for him. But he doesn't love me, never did and now he asked his ex to get back together with him right in front of my eyes," Cam asserted strongly and her chin and lips started to tremble when she was done.

"That bastard," Michelle hissed before she put her arms around Cam and hugged her tightly. Cam didn't even notice what language Michelle had used and didn't lecture her like she usually did. She just started sobbing in her daughters arms and felt a bit better because she could let it out and because Michelle was there.

"You're in love with him now, aren't you?" Michelle asked after a while of just holding her.

"It's stupid. I'm stupid. I knew from the very beginning that he was still in love with Angela. I knew this wouldn't last," Cam replied and stayed in Michelle's arms. She couldn't see when the girl wrinkled her forehead in obvious disapproval of that statement.

"He ended it today?" Michelle asked.

"I found Angela's earring in his nightstand and we fought. I ended it today," Cam admitted. "He said it didn't mean anything that he kept the earring, but we both know it did. What I don't understand is why he was so set on the idea of making us public at the Jeffersonian. I really don't get it. I knew he still loved Angela and he knew it and still… maybe he just wanted to make her jealous? " Cam went on and stopped when she felt Michelle shaking her head.

"Oh mom," Michelle sighed, placed a kiss on Cam's hair and wondered how two such intelligent people could be so dense at the same time.

~*~

It had been over five hours already and the friends in the waiting room hadn't heard back from Brennan yet, which meant that Booth was still in surgery. While Sweets was still pacing the room and only took small pauses in between to sit down, Angela and Hodgins were sitting in their chairs, each one occupied with their own thoughts.

While he hoped that Booth would be fine Hodgins was mostly consumed by thoughts about Cam and Angela. He couldn't forget the look on Cam's face when she had left the hospital. He wasn't sure why she had left, but it had been obvious that she had fled from the situation. Couldn't she handle Booth being sick? Wasn't she as indifferent to him and Angela as she had made him believe? He somehow hoped that it was the later but then again, there was still him and Angela. She hadn't answered him in any way yet and that was unnerving as well. Sure, they had been interrupted before but Angela was complicated and it was entirely possible that she would just ignore his question for weeks or months and then answer him at the most unlikely time.

It was then that Brennan came into the waiting room, still in the blue operation clothes. Like before they hurried to her, anxiously awaiting what she had to tell.

"Booth is out of surgery now, everything went well. He should wake up within the next few hours," she informed them and it was Sweets who hugged her in relief, followed by Angela. Hodgins let out a breath and smiled slightly.

"Where's Cam?" Brennan asked when Angela let go of her and she realized that the coroner was missing.

"She left after Booth went into surgery and said we should call her when there's something new," Angela replied.

"Can one of you do that? I want to go back to Booth," Brennan said and was off again when all three nodded.

"I'll call her," Angela said and rolled her eyes when both men just looked at her at Brennan's request. She pulled out her cell phone and found Cam's number in her phone book. She let it ring several times and then hung up again. "She's not answering her cell phone," she said then with a confused look on her face. Cam always answered her cell phone and it was strange that she didn't now, while she must be waiting for their call.

"Weird," Sweets agreed, pulled out his cell phone and unnecessarily tried calling her himself.

"Yeah, sure, because she saw "Angela" on the display and decided to avoid me," Angela snorted when he hung up unsuccessfully.

"Does anyone have her home phone number?" Sweets ignored her comment. Angela just shrugged but Sweets picked up on the fact that Hodgins reacted weird and stared at him.

"Let me check," Hodgins said and hoped he didn't blush. He knew her phone number by heart now but he couldn't admit that. So he flipped through the phone book in his cell phone. "Yeah, I have it," he admitted then and just wanted to dictate the number to Sweets, when the psychologist shrugged.

"Then call her," Sweets said and looked at him like he had lost his mind. Hodgins pressed call and wandered off to another corner of the room without even realizing it. Sweets and Angela looked at each other with confused looks on their faces and then observed him while they listened to what he was saying.

"Welton," he heard Michelle answering the phone and he knew that she must know that it was him calling. About three weeks ago when he had spend another night at Cam's place they had joked around and he had programmed his cell phone number into her phone as well as on speed dial.

"Hi Michelle, it's Hodgins," he greeted her and suppressed the urge to say "It's me", because he knew the other two were listening to his every word. Also he wasn't sure what Cam had told her.

"What do you want?" Michelle replied and made it clear that Cam had told her that they were no longer together.

"Could you tell Cam that Booth's surgery went well and that he should be awake in a few hours. Brennan is still with him," he said and didn't dare to ask for Cam.

"I will. Bye," Michelle replied and hung up. Hodgins stared at the phone because of the sudden end of the call and then put it back in his jacket pocket.

"She's in the shower but Michelle will tell her," he lied and stuck his hands in his jeans pockets. "I'm going to go home now as well, are you staying here?" he asked them then.

"I'll see if Dr. Brennan needs anything and then go home," Sweets replied surprisingly and walked out of the room.

"Well, if Sweets does my job now I think I can go home as well. Could you take me home, my car is still at the lab?" Angela replied and took her handbag from the chair.

"Sure, no problem," he shrugged and together they walked out of the hospital and to the underground garage.

"I really hope Booth is gonna be alright," Angela broke the silence while they drove through the city.

"Yeah, me too. I still can't believe it. I mean, we saw him this morning and he seemed fine and now he's lying in the hospital and just had a brain surgery," Hodgins replied.

"I think Brennan will stay with him until he's released," she said.

"I wonder what'll happen to the baby plans," Hodgins replied. "Not that these plans are less crazy now," he chuckled then.

"Tell me about it," Angela laughed as well and then the silence spread once again between them. "Hey Jack, did you really mean what you said before at the hospital about getting back together? I mean after everything," Angela broke the silence once again when they had nearly reached her apartment.

"Of course I meant what I said," he replied and looked at her for a second before he concentrated back on the traffic.

"I agree. I think we should try again," she admitted quietly and he could feel her eyes on him.

"Okay," he said, dragging out the word and parked the car in front of her apartment. When he felt her still looking at him he turned his head and faced her.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked him and the intention was clear, a small smile was playing on her lips and her left hand touched his arm lightly.

"Tempting, but... I think we should, I don't know, date first, get to know each other again," he replied a bit hesitantly.

"Okay," Angela replied her smile still in place but her eyes were looking unsure now.

"You're free tomorrow evening?" he asked her next and put his hand on top of hers.

"Yes, I am. Pick me up at eight?" she asked with a brighter smile.

"Pick you up at eight," he nodded and gave her hand a squeeze before she got out of the car and he made his way back home.

~*~

"Hey, why don't you come back in, it's cold out here?" Michelle asked Cam and wrapped her vest tighter around herself. She was leaning against the doorway that led out to Cam's roof terrace. Cam had been outside for quite a while now, dressed still in jogging pants and a T-shirt, while she starred off into space and smoked one cigarette after the next.

"In a minute," Cam replied and inhaled the smoke.

"You said that half an hour ago! Cam, please, you'll catch a cold and you're ruining your health more with every cigarette you're smoking," Michelle said and stepped outside.

"You're repeating my speech from three days ago. You didn't listen," Cam replied with raised eyebrows.

"I know and I'm sorry, but I'm worried about you. You're smoking too much," Michelle said, took the cigarette out of Cam's hand and put it out. "I make you a deal: I quit when you quit," the teen said then and held out her hand. Cam looked at her and thought about it for a second but then her reasonable mind took over and she shook hands with Michelle and nodded. "Good, then let's go inside and start the wallowing, it's freezing out here," Michelle said, wrapped an arm around Cams shoulders and led her inside without any further protest.

"Wallowing? I don't need to wallow," Cam muttered and gave in when Michelle pushed her down on the couch by her shoulders.

"Sure you do. After every break up the wallowing is a very important phase. I saw it on TV," the teen said in a serious tone. "All we need now are old sappy movies, some ice-cream and lots and lots of chocolate. You'll feel better afterwards."

"What soap opera did you see that on?" Cam actually had to smile.

"Doesn't matter but we'll try it now," Michelle grinned back and walked into the kitchen to fetch the ice cream, spoons and the chocolate. Cam looked around her living-room and realized that Michelle had cleaned up the chaos she had made earlier. The tissues and wrappers were gone and her jacket and her handbag that she had thrown on the couch were gone.

"Thank you for cleaning up," she said when Michelle came back into the living room.

"No big deal," the teen shrugged and sat down beside Cam.

"It is. You shouldn't have to do this or see this. I'm a grown woman and I'm acting like a three year old because of some guy," Cam snorted.

"You were there for me when I needed you and now I am there for you, that's what families are all about, right?" Michelle asked and looked a bit shy.

"Right," Cam nodded and pulled the girl in her arms. "You called me mom earlier today like you did when you were a small girl. I'm not expecting that you will call me that or even think of me that way, but I appreciate that you did today, when I wasn't feeling too well," she went on quietly and kissed Michelle's cheek before she let her go.

"I didn't even realize I did. But I always thought of you as my mom, even when I told you you're not my mother. I never even knew my real mom, so you are, kind of, my mom," Michelle admitted sheepishly and looked down at her hands in her lap.

"Thank you," Cam replied, took the spoons from the table, handed one to Michelle and opened the ice cream container to start the evening of wallowing.

~*~

That evening Hodgins wondered why he had asked Angela on a date for the next night and not today. It was Friday after all and Friday was just as good a date night as Saturday. He didn't have any other plans and wandered aimlessly through his mansion, not really sure what he was looking for. It had just seemed so sudden that Angela had agreed to try again and when she had said yes he hadn't been happy but more kind of scared and unsure if this was really the right thing to do. There were so many things to consider: Angela was still on her celibate kick and judging by her invitation earlier that evening she wasn't too keen on continuing it. She had asked him one time already if he wouldn't help her to get rid of her sexual frustration and he hoped that this wasn't all she was looking for. Then there was Cam and although she had ended it with the argument that he still wanted to be with Angela, he couldn't just forget their time together, forget her. For him it didn't feel like the end of some unimportant fling, but like the end of a relationship; an albeit short one, but nonetheless a relationship.

He stopped in his office where he found a black hoody lying on the armchair that stood in front of the fireplace. He picked it up and folded it while he was hit by the memories how it had got there.

"_Jack?" he heard Cam call and held a hand over the speaker to reply so the accountant on the other end of the line wouldn't go deaf.. _

"_In here," he yelled back and waited until she found him in the study. She rolled her eye at him when she entered and he knew it was about his precise description of his whereabouts before._

_He was sitting at his desk, doing some work for the Cantilever group and she gave him a sign that she didn't want to disturb him, but just when she turned to leave again he held out one hand and so she walked into the room and took it. He pulled her down so she was sitting on the armrest of his chair and put his phone on loudspeaker so she could hear what he had to deal with. Cam laughed when she heard the accountant talk about statistics and profit while Hodgins looked so bored she was doubting he understood anything at all. She listened to the talk for a while before she got up and took a look at the books in the shelves. Mostly books about bugs and plants, soils and stones but when she found one about solved criminal cases she took it out of the shelf and sat down in the armchair to flip through it._

_Hodgins watched her closely and only having her nearby now kept him from biting into his desk because of the pointless conversation with the accountant who had dared to call him late Friday night. He saw her flipping through his book, stopping sometimes to read a paragraph here and there. Her hair was wrapped in a ponytail and she obviously hadn't it straightened as perfectly as she usually did and some curls were visible. In her grey shorts and blue shirt she looked like she belonged there. He also noticed that she started to rub her arms and got goose bumps because she seemed to be cold. While still talking to the accountant he slipped out of his hoody, walked over to her and wrapped it around her shoulders. She looked up to him, smiled and wrapped it tighter around herself before she went back to her book and he back to his call._

_Fifteen minutes later he was finally done and walked over to where she was still sitting. Her head leaned against the side of the armchair and for a moment he thought she was asleep, until she opened her eyes and blinked._

"_Tired?" he asked with a small smile and wrapped his arms around her waist when she got up._

"_Tired and hungry. You promised me dinner like an hour ago," she complained teasingly._

"_I'm so sorry, how can I make it up to you?" he asked and raised his eyebrows suggestively what made her laugh. He pulled her closer, kissed her softly and when he pulled back she laughed again._

"_Cooking might be an option," she said and together they walked into the kitchen while the hoody fell into the armchair without either of them noticing._

He had to tell Angela, he decided, while he brought the pullover up to his face and buried his nose in it for a second. It still smelled like Cam he realized, even thought she had only worn it for a few minutes. He couldn't start something with Angela again and not tell her what had been going on between him and Cam. He knew that Cam would probably kill him, since them being out at the lab had always been her biggest problem. Also he wasn't really sure what Angela's reaction would be. Would she mind at all? Be jealous? Angry? Surprised? Would she say something to Cam about it? And what should he say when she wanted to know how it ended and why? Should he admit that her earring had ruined everything, that Cam had ended it and that he had asked her to think about it again?

Usually he never talked to his new girlfriends about his exes, but this time the break up had been so recent, they were all working together and also he felt the need to talk about it with someone. When he and Angela had ended he had talked with Zack and later with Cam. She had been the one he had admitted to that he had still been thinking about Angela. He had asked her for advice about the Angela and Roxy thing. However he couldn't call her now and talk to her about their break up.

He placed the hoody back on the armchair and left his office again, made his way back into the living room. He poured himself a glass of Scotch, which he kept in the bar in the living-room and sat down on the couch in the semi-dark room. He sipped and concentrated on how the liquid warmed his tongue, then his throat, leaned back against the couch and stared off into space.

~*~

"What are we going to do today?" Michelle asked Cam while they both packed the things Hodgins had left at their apartment into a box. There weren't many things, but enough so that they found something in every room except for Michelle's.

"I don't know. You're here today? Usually you spend the weekend with your friends," Cam replied and threw another T-shirt into the box.

"No, I'll be here today," Michelle shrugged nonchalantly.

"I thought I'd go and see how Booth is doing and afterwards I'm free. You have an idea what we could do?" Cam replied.

"I don't know. Maybe we could go shopping? I saw this jacket the other day at the mall..." Michelle grinned.

"Ah, I get it, I get it, we'll go shopping," Cam laughed and closed the box with Hodgins' things in it.

Before they went to the mall they stopped at the hospital where to Cam's big surprise Brennan was still sitting.

"Dr. Brennan what are you still doing here?" Cam asked because she saw that Brennan was still wearing the same clothes as the day before.

"He didn't wake up yet. There seems to be a problem with the anesthesia," the anthropologist replied with a frantic undertone.

"Why didn't you call me?" Cam asked and automatically went to the end of Booth's bed and checked the charts and reports. "His vitals are fine, everything seems normal," she said more to herself than to Brennan.

"I know, that's what they keep telling me but still he's in a coma," Brennan said and ignored her other question.

"Are you staying here?" Cam asked although the determine look on her face already told her the answer.

"Yes, I promised him I'd be there when he wakes up," she nodded.

"You know it could be days or weeks?" Cam asked and Brennan nodded. "Do you need anything? Food, clothes, toiletries?" she went on.

"Yes. I already called Angela but she said that she has a problem because she drove home with Hodgins last night and her car is still at the lab. Maybe you could just bring her the key and drive her to her car, she knows where to find everything," Brennan replied and missed it when Cam's eyes got wider at the mention of Angela and Hodgins driving home together.

"Sure, no problem, I can do this," Cam nodded with a forced smile.

"Here," Brennan said and handed her the key which she took.

"If anything changes or you need something call me, ok?" she said again and Brennan only nodded and Cam left the room.

"We have to make two stops before we go to the mall. Booth hasn't woken up yet and Dr. Brennan needs some things because she's staying here with him," Cam told Michelle, who had been waiting outside of intensive care.

"Where are we going?" the teen asked while they walked through the corridors of the hospital.

"First to Angela to bring her the key to Brennan's apartment and then we most likely will drive Angela to her car, which is still parked at the Jeffersonian," Cam replied and left out the detail about Hodgins driving her home.

"Angela? Hodgins' ex and possible future Angela?" Michelle asked wide-eyed when they left the hospital and walked over the parking space.

"That's the one," Cam nodded and pressed the key on her car key to unlock her door.

"And I thought high school was complicated but compared to your lab it's like Care Bear land," Michelle replied while she got in the car and Cam had to smile at the comment.

"That's why you should never date someone you work with," she added and started the car.

~*~

"I really hope Booth wakes up soon, also for Brennan's sake. She will stay at that hospital even if it takes years," Angela said. They were driving to the Jeffersonian now so she could get her car. Angela sat in the passenger's seat while Michelle sat in the back of the car. Brennan's apartment was on the way from the Jeffersonian to the hospital anyway and so Angela wouldn't have to drive back and forth.

"Yeah, me too. It's not uncomplicated when someone goes into coma after such a surgery," Cam replied.

"Brennan told me she's really worried. But then again it's Booth and he's stubborn, he'll make it," Angela said convinced. "And what are you two going to do today? Any plans?" she asked then.

"We decided to hit the mall and go shopping," Cam informed her and winked at Michelle through the rear mirror. The girl had been quiet ever since they had arrived at Angela's and refused to speak to the artist.

"Looking for anything special or just some random shopping to spend some money?" Angela grinned.

"Well, Michelle said she saw this jacket and I, well, I don't know, I'm not really looking for anything," Cam replied when Michelle once again stayed silent.

"I'd love to come along and buy a new dress, but I don't have the time. I have to take care of Brennan and I'm sure Hodgins will understand when I'll wear a dress tonight that he already knows," Angela replied with a smile.

"Oh, you're going out with Hodgins tonight?" Cam asked and tried to keep her voice under control. Michelle wasn't so kind though and snorted, which made Angela shoot a confused look in Cam's direction.

"We talked yesterday and agreed that maybe we should try again, so we're going on a first date tonight," the artist said with an excited smile and Cam had never been so happy to see the Jeffersonian than right that moment.

"Oh, we're here," she exclaimed and pulled up next to Angela's car.

"Ok, so have fun at the mall and thanks again," Angela said when she got out of the car and Cam breathed out in relief when the door closed behind her. Michelle immediately got out of the car and then sat down in the passenger's seat.

"Why are you torturing yourself like this?" she asked Cam after she had closed the car door.

"It's not torture, it's getting used to it. Angela is a colleague and a friend, who doesn't even know that there was something between me and Hodgins. It's not her fault he never got over her. They are trying again, so it seems like she never got over him either," Cam replied and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Didn't you say she was with a woman only weeks after she and Hodgins split up? True love, no doubt," Michelle rolled her eyes.

"That is none of my business anymore," Cam told her with a pointed look.

"I am so buying you a large chocolate ice-cream," Michelle replied in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"If I eat any more ice-cream I'll never make it out of the gym the coming week in order to still fit in my clothes," Cam protested.

"Oh come on, you need some comfort food. And who cares if you still fit in your clothes? We can buy new ones today," the teen said and shrugged.

"I'll never find the one if I weigh 200 pounds," the coroner shrieked.

"If he's the one he won't care. And who needs men anyway? We have each other now," Michelle grinned.

"You're right, we have each other now," Cam replied with a smile, although her heart was still aching just as badly as the day before.

~*~

"And he never told you?" Hodgins laughed while he walked beside Angela, his hands comfortably stuck in his jacket pockets. They had had dinner at an Italian place and had decided to go for drinks to a small cocktail bar by the lake. Now while Angela was nursing her second _sex on the beach_ they had decided to walk around a bit. Hodgins couldn't drink anymore anyway because he was the designated driver for the evening.

"No, he knew I'd kill him," Angela replied and shook her head. "Really, I can't believe he did this to you," she said and was really upset which amused Hodgins even more. It had really been a great evening so far, really fun. The banter, the laughter it was still there and he felt… comfortable around Angela, which he hadn't expected after the most recent events.

"Oh come on, he's your dad and I took care of it, the tattoo is gone now," he told her, still laughing about how upset she had got.

"You did the laser treatment?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I didn't want to go to work like that and so I called…" he said and then hesitated a moment before he went on,"… Cam and she called a friend of hers so I would get an appointment immediately. I went there two times for the laser treatment and then several times afterwards and I was done," he shrugged maybe a bit too nonchalantly.

"Cam knows about this and she didn't tell me?" Angela shrieked.

"She knows. She was the one I called to pick me up from the airport in the middle of the night," he admitted, simply because he didn't see a point in lying.

"You two got pretty close these last few months," Angela stated, although it also sounded a bit like a question.

"Yeah," he nodded. "After we broke up and after everything with Zack I just sometimes needed someone to talk to and she was there. And when she got Michelle I helped to move her in," he said and smiled sadly.

"I met Michelle today, she didn't really talk much- or at all," Angela replied and drank the rest of her drink while they still walked alongside the lake.

"Why did you meet Michelle today?" he asked confused and stopped walking.

"Cam met Brennan at the hospital today when she went to visit Booth before going to the mall with Michelle. Because my car was still at the lab Cam brought me the key to Brennan's apartment so I could get a few things for her and then she drove me to my car," Angela recounted the events of the day.

"Cam and Michelle hit the mall?" Hodgins asked and wrinkled his forehead. He knew that Cam loved shopping but it seemed strange to him that Michelle went shopping with Cam and not her friends.

"Yes. I told them I'd come along to buy a dress for our date tonight but I didn't have the time," Angela sighed disappointedly and looked down to the clothes she wore, which made her miss it when Hodgins eyes got wide.

"You told them about our date?" he asked slightly panicked, and that she didn't miss.

"Sure, or was it supposed to be a secret?" she asked and gave him a funny look.

"No, no, of course not," he stuttered and started walking again. Angela watched him for a second, still confused about his weird behavior but then shrugged it off. She walked up to him and linked her arm through his and they both walked quietly side by side for some moments.

"It's been a great date," Angela said then and looked to the ground with a small smile.

"I concur," he nodded and turned his head to look at her, also with a smile on his face. When she stopped walking and turned to face him he knew that this was the moment. The lake reflected the moonlight, there was quiet music in the background from the bar they had left behind and she had that sparkle in her eyes he had once fallen in love with. Unlike their first date this time it was her who made the first move. Slowly she leaned forward, cupped his cheek in her hand and kissed him softly. He saw her eyes close and felt her pull back for a second and then her lips were back on his. He closed his eyes and pulled her closer, wrapped his arms around her waist. After a second he opened his eyes again, watched her kissing him and saw when she opened her eyes and broke the kiss.

"Jack?" she asked and looked intently at him. He kept staring at her and shook his head slightly.

"It wasn't there," he said quietly. "It's just… it's not the same anymore," he said more to himself.

"You didn't feel it?" Angela asked and knew that he was talking about that spark, the magic that once had been present when they had kissed. But by his reaction to her kiss she knew that he wasn't feeling it anymore.

"I'm sorry," he said and nervously ran his fingers through his hair and looked to his feet while Angela was looking at him now like Brennan looked at human remains. Analytical, questioningly, thoroughly and then understanding when she had found the reason.

"There's someone else, isn't there?" Angela nodded slowly, she knew she was right.

"No, there's not," he said and looked up, but crumbled when he met her eyes. "Not anymore," he admitted. "Ange, I'm really sorry, I never meant to lead you on. I really thought we could try again and make this work," he started to ramble. "Everyone always thought we'd get back together, I always thought that we'd get back together, but then… and now when we kissed… Ange, I can't, I'm sorry," he finished with a desperate look on his face.

"It's not your fault, Jack, at least not alone. You did everything for me when we were together and at the time I didn't appreciate it. I got together with Roxy shortly after we split up and then I used you to make me feel better after she left me. I guess I somehow deserve this, huh?" she asked with a sad smile.

"No, you don't and this isn't meant as revenge. I really thought we could have again what we had back then," he said and was surprised when she hugged him suddenly.

"It's ok Jack, I understand," she said and kissed him on the cheek. "We're not so bad as friends either, huh?" she smiled when she pulled back.

"No, we're really good at being friends," he smiled at her and finally found the right word for what he had been feeling all night: Friendship. A really deep and honest friendship full of respect for each other. That had also been what had made this date so fun for him, even given the circumstances.

"Sooo, who is she?" Angela asked when they started walking back to the bar, her arm once again linked through his. "Someone I know?" Hodgins smiled in a telling way.

"Maybe," he said, "maybe not".

"Oh come on! Is it one of your college friends or someone from the lab?" she went on but he just shook his head and didn't say anything. "Is that what you call friendship? We're supposed to tell each other things now and be honest with each other," she mocked him and swatted his chest.

"Ok, how's this for honesty?" he replied, took something out of his jacket pocket and placed it in her palm.

"That's my earring. Where did you find it?" she asked in wonder when she saw what he had given her.

"I had it the whole time. You lost it in bed during our… you know. I kept it as a souvenir, a reminder of hope, if you want to call it that, but then I forgot about it," he admitted.

"And then today you remembered and thought you could bring it to our date?" she wondered and found it a bit strange.

"Not exactly," he said and a shadow came over his smile, made it seem fake suddenly. "I just thought I should give it back no matter how that date went," he explained.

"She found it, didn't she?" Angela said, reading him like an open book.

"Yes, she did and afterwards she ended it because she thinks I am still in love with you," he said sadly.

"Which we proved today isn't true, at least not in a romantic way," Angela said and squeezed his arm gently. "I could talk to her. I could tell her what happened here, maybe she'll give you another chance," Angela proposed.

"It's not that easy, but thank you," he replied.

"Why won't you tell me who she is?" Angela started again after a second of silence and made him groan. "It must be someone I know, otherwise you would just tell me. And it must be someone from the lab otherwise she wouldn't know my earring," Angela concluded and walked up the steps to the terrace of the bar ahead of him. He only grinned while she was obviously thinking it through. When she suddenly stopped on the top step he walked right into her and had to steady himself by holding onto the banister. Slowly Angela turned around and looked at him with eyes as big as saucers. "You were dating Cam," she told him and when he blushed bright red she had all the confirmation she needed.

~*~

"Hey, how was work today?" Michelle asked while she put some plates on the table.

"Calm, quiet, boring," Cam said after thinking about it for a second and pulled the take-out containers out of the bags and put them on the table. "I'd never thought I'd say this but I miss Brennan at the lab," she admitted then.

"Where did she go again?" Michelle asked and put some of the Chinese food on her plate.

"Guatemala," Cam said and also took some food.

"How is Booth doing? I bet he was happy that he finally got out of the hospital today," the teen replied and sat down at the table.

"Oh, you have no idea. I was waiting for him to start kissing his floor," Cam laughed.

"Two weeks in a hospital is a long time. I'd go crazy."

"He had his pudding every day so he was fine. Speaking of pudding: I promised Parker a visit to the zoo a while ago and Booth and I thought we could go this weekend. Do you want to come along?" Cam asked.

"This weekend? Uhm, I don't know, maybe," Michelle said and blushed without any apparent reason.

"Is there anything I should know?" Cam asked and raised her eyebrows.

"You know, there's this guy, Perry, and he asked me to go to the movies with him," Michelle admitted.

"Ahh, you're going on a date," Cam grinned.

"I haven't decided yet," Michelle shook her head.

"Why? Don't you like him?"

"I like him, he's really nice," Michelle replied immediately.

"Is he ugly?" Cam prodded.

"No! Actually, he's kind of cute," she blushed even more.

"Then I think I don't understand why you're not sure if you should go out with him. Not that I want to push you or anything," Cam said and held both hands up.

"It's just… you said that one should never date anyone you work with and Perry is in my theater class, so we kind of work together. I mean, if this date goes wrong then everyone will know and I have to see him all the time during rehearsals," Michelle admitted and made Cam sigh deeply.

"You know, this is why kids shouldn't know a thing about their parents' love life," she said and then added quickly "Or teenagers about their legal guardians'. Michelle if you really like Perry you should give him a chance. And if it doesn't work out, well, even Hodgins and I are somehow able to work together even after everything that happened," she finished.

"You avoid him," Michelle replied.

"I do not!" Cam protested.

"Do too! You spend every lunch break locked into your office and you go in early and leave early because you know he will show up late and go home late. You two are not dealing with anything!" Michelle disagreed.

"I said we're able to work together, I said nothing about spending more time together than necessary. I send him emails when I want something and he replies when he has the results. It's a good system. And why do you know this stuff anyway?" Cam asked confused.

"When I came over to pick up my French book the other week I had a little chat with Angela. You were right, she is really nice, even though she's Hodgins' ex," Michelle grinned.

"You talked to Angela about me and Hodgins? Are you crazy?" Cam asked and was getting angry.

"She asked me and she knew everything already anyway," Michelle replied and held up one hand. "From what she told me that date with Hodgins was a disaster and he ended up telling her everything."

"I will kill him," Cam said through clenched teeth.

"Why aren't you happy about this?" Michelle asked, not really sure why Cam was angry.

"Happy? About what? That Hodgins is using our failed… whatever to stay in contact with Angela? Are you kidding me?" This time it was Michelle who groaned in annoyance.

"Ok, I give up. No matter what you do or what he does you two always manage to use it against the other," Michelle said and didn't give any more information away.

"I will never let you into the Jeffersonian again!" Cam decided when the picture of Michelle and Angela plotting behind her back formed in her head. Michelle just shrugged. For the last two weeks, ever since Booth had woken up, she had tried to talk some reason into her but it was really pointless. She was staying out of this now, she was done.

~*~

After her talk with Michelle and the new revelations Cam was more than upset. She wasn't really angry with Michelle but more with Angela, because she knew that she was behind this and had poked the teen for information. But most of all she was angry at Hodgins for telling Angela.

For the last two weeks she had tried to find a new rhythm, one that didn't involve Hodgins or Angela in any way. She had spent her lunch breaks alone in her office, pretending to work. She had gained four pounds because of her promise to stop smoking and her substitute which she had found in chocolate and cake. And she had played nurse for Booth when Brennan had left, which had provided more opportunities to leave work whenever she felt the need.

If she had to talk to Hodgins she did it as professionally as she could and she was good at that. At first he had tried to exchange a few words about private things but after she had refused to participate he seemed to have accepted their new work relationship.

She was still contemplating everything while she walked beside Booth and Parker through the zoo, only listening with one ear to Parker's excited chatter about the animals. When they reached the penguins he watched them with interest and laughed every so often when they chased each other under water. Cam and Booth meanwhile sat down on a nearby bench.

"You remembered now where you put your Simpsons DVDs?" Cam asked him while she watched Parker watching the penguins.

"Yes, I found them in the bathroom," he nodded and she laughed and shook her head.

"Do you know already when you'll be back at work?"

"I was told that I need to be cleared by Sweets and to be honest I'm still confused sometimes," he admitted.

"Take your time and don't pressure yourself," she advised.

"Daddy, look! It's lunch time for the penguins." Parker yelled suddenly and Booth turned his attention to his son.

"That's great Parker, pay attention to how they get the fish," Booth yelled back and smiled, then looked over to Cam again who seemed lost in her own thoughts suddenly. During the two weeks he had observed that a lot and he was starting to worry about his friend.

"Hey, Camille, what's going on?" he asked her and she came back to reality.

"What?" she asked confused.

"You seem, I don't know, sad," he told her honestly and looked intently at her.

"I'm fine Seeley, really. You're the one we all worry about," she replied and tried to smile reassuringly at him but failed miserable.

"What happened? Everything ok with Michelle?" he went on.

"Michelle is fine. We're fine. Actually she's going out on a date tonight and has her friends over right now for moral support," Cam replied with a wistful smile.

"And you? You're not fine, Cam, I can see that. I know I'm not remembering everything but I still remember enough about you to know that you are not fine. I'm still your friend and you can still talk to me even if I find Simpsons DVDs in my bathroom and have no idea how they got there," he said softly. Cam squeezed the bridge of her nose with two fingers before she answered, thought about if she should really tell him the truth and how much she should tell him. Yet, he was one of her oldest friends and he could read her very well. She needed a friend and some perspective from someone who was older than sixteen.

She sighed deeply than said: "For the last few months I had this thing going on with Hodgins." Booth didn't look too surprised and remained silent so she went on. "He helped me when Michelle moved in and we became closer and closer after his break up with Angela. Suddenly there was more and then this one night after I met him by chance at the Founding Fathers we… became more. I knew it wouldn't last and then two weeks ago I found Angela's earring in his nightstand. He had kept it as a souvenir after their last night together," she said and fell silent.

"Why did you think it wouldn't last?" Booth asked.

"We all know that Hodgins is still in love with Angela," she said like it was the most obvious thing.

"Hodgins doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who dates one woman while he's still in love with another. Sure, we know he had his fair share of affairs but from what I gather he draws a very clear line between the women he dates and the women he has flings with," he said calmly.

"The day we broke up he asked Angela to get back together right in front of my eyes," she replied so quietly he could barely hear her.

"He hurt you," Booth stated and his jaw was clenched dangerously.

"Yeah, he did. But then again I knew that the moment would come…" she trailed of and shrugged sadly. Booth opened his mouth to ask more questions because this whole scenario didn't fit the Hodgins he knew, but Parker came back that moment and interrupted their talk.

"Dad, can we go and have lunch now as well. I'm starving," he said dramatically.

"Sure, we can. Aunty Camille is paying today so you can go crazy," Booth joked and managed to make her smile. Together they got up and followed Parker to the restaurant at the zoo and Camille tried to enjoy the day with Parker and Booth and hoped that maybe after she had confided in Booth, a close friend, she would start to heal.

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

**I can't believe that this is the last chapter, but it really is.**

**Thank you to my two wonderful betas Melissa and Kim. Melissa wrote this morning that she sees this story as a part of her, too and it absolutely is. It's a part of both of you as it is a part of me. Thank you!**

**And thank you to the people out there who read and review. I really appreciate your comments, ideas or rants. I hope you will "pay me" by sending in some more of those reviews.

* * *

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**Chapter 10: Indications, sparks and explosions**

While Brennan was in Guatemala and Booth still not working the rest of the team was working on cases from limbo, or like Cam this morning, on things that randomly came in. On this particular day it was a dead, middle aged man who had been found out on the streets somewhere. The police weren't sure if he had been killed or not and because Cam was still a coroner who could work on her own she got the body. She followed her usual routine and first examined the corpse for bruises or other obvious injuries and then took her scalpel and cut him open. She was just weighing the organs when there was a knock on the door.

"Yes, please, come in," she called and couldn't see who it was from where she was standing.

"Sorry, to interrupt," Hodgins said when he entered, a silver tray in his hands.

"What can I do for you?" she asked politely and placed the liver on the scale.

"I found some organic material on the clothes of a Jane Doe," he replied and took in her appearance. Her hair was done perfectly as always and she wore her blue, tightly fitting autopsy clothes, a plastic apron and rubber gloves. She looked beautiful as always but tired and mirthless and he wished he could do something to make her smile. He knew the expression in her eyes because he saw it every time he looked into a mirror. He smiled, he joked, he laughed but he was still sad and hurting and he missed her. While she put distance between them by making herself rare out on the platform, he craved her presence and wanted to see her at least.

His talks with Angela had made him see that he hadn't been right about Cam and Booth and Cam had never felt anything but friendship for the FBI agent. His jealousy had made him see things that simply weren't true. Cam's sad eyes now were further indication for him to believe that maybe she hadn't seen their time together as a simple affair between colleagues. When she and Booth had been over it had seemed like nothing had changed between them except that they had stopped sleeping together. Yet, this time she was avoiding him and refused to talk about anything but work.

"Just put it on the table over there I'll take a look at it when I'm done here," she said, still concentrating on the body in front of her.

"It's already one thirty," he said when he placed the tray on the table and tried to get to spend more time with her that way.

"And?" she asked, wrinkled her forehead and turned to look at him for the first time.

"You didn't have any break yet today. You wanna go to the diner and get something to eat?" he asked nervously.

"No, but thank you for the offer Dr. Hodgins," she replied pointedly and sliced the stomach of the dead person open.

"Cam… " he started but she didn't let him say more than that.

"Hodgins I'm really busy. Can we save the small talk for later?" she asked unnerved and threw her scalpel on the table beside her, put her hands on her hips and turned to face him.

"Ok, but I just want to remind you that in your goodbye speech you said that we would still be colleagues and friends. You're avoiding me, you snap at me and the team and now you're just unfriendly and rude. Guess you being so cool about everything didn't really work out that well, huh?" he said annoyed and then marched out of her room without even waiting for a reply. She had once apologized for using him as her punching bag and taking her anger out on him. Now she was really angry at him this time, he just didn't really understand why.

Cam closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before she picked up the scalpel again and resumed doing her work, trying not to think of Hodgins.

~*~

"Hey Jack, can you please stop attacking the lab people around you? They're getting kind of scared," Angela told him two hours later when he was working at his work station again and ever since he had his short talk with Cam his mood had got a lot worse, if that was even possible.

"I'm not scaring anyone," he barked and clattered with some Petri dishes.

"You are! There are people hiding on the other side of the room because you keep insulting them," she insisted and took the dishes out of his hands.

"And that's your business why?" he asked and raised his eyebrows.

"Because I'm your friend and I care about you," she said for a lack of anything else to say.

"And because you care about me you dumped me, paraded your lesbian friend in front of my eyes weeks after the break up, had sex with me to get over her and even had the nerve to ask me to sleep with you simply because you were horny and sick of your celibacy?" he said quietly but sharply. A tone that was typical for him when he was sad, angry and heartbroken, but Angela so far had never been exposed to.

"You're such an idiot at the moment Jack. You know what I'm gonna do right now?" she asked him.

"No, but you'll surely tell me," he replied and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"I'll take the day off and go home now because both you and Cam are unbearable today and I'm no longer willing to put up with it," she said and stomped off but stopped a few feet away from him to turn around again. "Oh, and you might want to get rid of all sharp instruments in here, otherwise you or Cam might kill the team or each other," she added and then disappeared in the direction of her office.

As pissed off as Hodgins was by Angela's attempt to meddle he knew that she had a point. He couldn't go on like this and even considered talking to Sweets again. Yet, he knew that the kid would just tell him that anger was a coping technique and natural. His anger this time was different than the last time though. He didn't hate anyone for any reason; he mostly took his frustration out on them. He was hurting, he was frustrated and he missed Cam although she was right there in the other room. He knew that if they could just talk, everything could be ok again. Seeing her reaction to him today and during the last three weeks had been enough to convince him that she was just as sad as he was about the end of their relationship and just too stubborn and too hurt to talk openly and honestly with him. What he had to do to crack her shell he did not know though. And that's what made him angry this time.

~*~

The autopsy turned out to be more complicated than it had seemed at first and at six, the time she normally left the lab these days, she had just stitched the guy back up. She took off her bloody gloves and threw them in the trash together with the apron. She washed her hands and combed through her hair before she wrapped it in a pony tail. Her stomach was protesting loudly because she hadn't eaten since this morning and so she took the apple out of her handbag and bit into it while she took the reports she had filled out during the autopsy and put them on her desk. She wasn't willing to type the data into the PC today and leaned exhausted against her desk and then leaned back a bit and stretched her back with a groan. After standing all these hours at the autopsy table everything just hurt: Her feet, her legs, her back. When she stood back up straight she saw the tray that Hodgins had left with her hours ago. She knew she needed to examine this today because he most likely needed the sample back. There wasn't much clothing left on this Jane Doe and he needed everything he could get. She took a pen from her desk and a paper, placed it beside her microscope and then fetched the sample and put it under her microscope.

By the time she was done with the sample, had found out that it was saliva and had pulled DNA, it was two hours later. She groaned when she saw the time and hoped that Michelle hadn't waited for her to have dinner. Again she placed the report she had filled out on her to-do stack on her desk and couldn't believe that she was still at the lab and if she wanted to get everything done she would have to spend the night. She went to her bathroom and changed back into her everyday clothes, threw her autopsy clothes in the hamper that stood behind the door so they would get washed.

She walked back out and finally sat down at her desk to at least fill out the administration sheets she had to deal with every day: Who was sick, who left early, what was needed, what had been broken… and then she would finally go home.

~*~

He was still at the lab and working. He was also still waiting to get the sample back he had given Cam. She hadn't mailed him any results so he guessed that she hadn't even looked at it yet. With every hour that passed without any message from her he got angrier, this time at her. It was one thing that she wasn't talking to him but it was another that she was sabotaging his work. If she wouldn't get it back to him he would just take it, he decided. If she needed it tomorrow and she could come and get it.

He strode through the semi dark lab to her office and was surprised when he saw that the light was still on. These last weeks she had left at six on the dot every day. Now it was past nine and she was still there. He could see her sitting at her desk typing something. Through the open blinds he could see when she stopped typing and buried her face in her hands for a moment. When she looked back up the exhaustion was written all over her face and he was pretty sure that if she was still here she hadn't eaten anything decent all day. She was obviously not doing a good job taking care of herself these days and he would look after her if only she let him. It made him angry that she pushed him away and pretended to be fine when he could see that she wasn't. She read through whatever she had written and suddenly hit the delete button on her keyboard extremely hard and he heard her curse loudly. He took a closer look at her face and saw that her lips were tightly pressed together and her eyes glassy. He was overwhelmed by the longing to hug her again which turned into anger in just a second.

This was the moment when Hodgins snapped. She was looking so sad and still she kept pretending that she was just fine whenever there were people around. When they were alone she simply ignored him and he'd had enough of it. He marched to her office and pulled the door open so fast that she jumped in her chair. He slammed it close behind him and they both glared at each other for a moment.

"Dr. Hodgins what can I do for you?" she asked overly friendly but the exhaustion was audible in her voice. When she found her composure again and she crossed her arms protectively in front of her chest and slowly stood up.

"Stop this Dr. Hodgins crap, Cam," he replied his voice shaking with anger.

"Watch it Dr. Ho…" she started but he didn't let her finish.

"No, you listen to me now," he said angrily, then took a deep breath to calm down and his voice became softer. "When you broke up with me you never gave me a chance to say anything. Well, you did, but I was so shocked that I couldn't react," he started and leaned against her desk while she took one more step back in the direction of the autopsy table. "I just, I just need to tell you that you were wrong about two things: I am not in love with Angela anymore, and this thing between us, for me it was never a fling," he said quietly and held his hand up when she opened her mouth to protest. "Before we, you know, started, I always felt this spark between us. I liked talking to you and being around you. That first night we spent together, when we kissed I thought that it would be just a fling. But then as the night progressed I already felt that I wouldn't be able to just let you walk out the next morning. We spent so much time together afterwards and I tried to show you how I felt but you kept pushing me away, not physically but emotionally. I know now that it was stupid but because of that I thought that you were still in love with Booth," he admitted and this time she interrupted him.

"I was never in love with Booth. He's a good friend," she said just as quietly, his words had soothed her. Also she was simply too tired to fight with him or to pretend.

"I know that now, I do. When you said all those things about me and Angela I thought that maybe you had a point. Maybe, subconsciously, I _was_ still in love with her and because you felt it, you couldn't really commit. I thought you didn't care, that this whole thing meant nothing to you," he said and looked her right in the eyes until she looked down and broke the eye contact. "I went on a date with Angela right after you ended it and it was a disaster. Well, no, actually it was a great evening… for two friends spending a night out together. She kissed me and I didn't feel a thing and she knew that. She wasn't angry, just disappointed. I gave her the earring back and we talked. These last two weeks we have been talking all the time, and because she can still read me like a book she made me realize some things," he said and his voice turned gentle and slightly hoarse. "You asked me what was left to say and although I wanted to yell at you that there was _so much_ left to say I didn't. Actually, it's not a lot: I'm in love with you, Camille. I've know that for a while now and I just need you to know that. You can go back to ignoring me now, I just, I needed you to know," he finished his speech and looked at her intently waiting for a reaction. She kept staring at her feet though and didn't react at all. Disappointment settled in because he had hoped for more. At least he knew that he had put all the cards out on the table. "Ok, I'm gonna go now," he said when she remained silent and he turned to leave.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he heard her ask, her voice thick with unshed tears, and he turned back around. Slowly she walked towards him, her heels clicking on the floor, the sound echoing through the silent laboratory. He could see the tears in her eyes before she slowly put her arms around his neck and hugged him, buried her face in the crook of his neck. His arms flew around her waist, wrapped tightly around her and held her while he leaned his cheek against her head and breathed in the scent of her hair, a smile forming on his face. She wasn't really crying or sobbing but still he could feel some wetness on the skin of his neck.

It felt so good having her back in his arms that the happiness that flowed through his body made him giddy. He kissed her forehead and lifted her off her feet for a second, then set her back down, still holding her tightly. When he felt her loosen her arms around his neck he also loosened his hold on her waist, but they didn't let go of each other. She cupped his cheek with her left hand, had never been so happy to feel his stubble against her palm and then she pressed her lips to his. The soft kiss turned into several kisses which got more and more passionate. They pressed against one another and kissed each other passionately, nearly desperately; until Cam suddenly pulled back. They were breathing hard, her long hair disheveled, the hair band somewhere on the floor.

"I'm in love with you, too," she said and tried catching her breath. Again a huge smile broke out on Hodgins' face and he kissed her again, couldn't get enough of her.

The lack of oxygen was what made them break their kiss minutes later, but still they couldn't let each other go.

"Your place or mine?" he grinned and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Yours, I just have to call Michelle and tell her I won't be home tonight," she replied and stayed right where she was.

"Ok, then let's go. I want to be alone with you without the cameras," he said and took a step back. She walked over to her desk and picked up her purse, threw her glasses and some papers in, grabbed her keys and shut down the computer. He held out one arm when she walked back to him and she wrapped her free arm around his middle while he pulled her close by her shoulders.

"Your car or mine?" she grinned at him when they walked out of her office.

"Dr. Saroyan, what will the colleagues think when we will come to work together tomorrow?!" he teased her.

"Who said anything about that? I'll need fresh clothes tomorrow morning, so sadly you'll have to drive alone," she replied with a smile that told him that she was only half joking.

"I'll be gladly waiting while you change," he replied and kissed her right there in the middle of the lab, which she did not mind at all.

~*~

Silence spread between them while they drove to his place. Hodgins concentrated on the road while Cam stared out the window. Whenever he didn't need his hand to shift he made a point of taking her hands, which were resting in her lap, in his. She responded in her own way by playing with his fingers without reacting otherwise. When they reached his house they slowly got out of the car and met by his front-door. Without saying anything he unlocked the door and held it open for her before he followed her inside. Cam put her handbag down on the dresser that stood on the right side and then turned around to face him. She watched him when he placed the keys on a shelf and then came to her. This time it was he, who closed the distance between them, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her affectionately. Cam brought her hands to his hair and sighed when they deepened the kiss. She hadn't felt this alive or happy during the last several weeks and it was like a weight had been lifted off her heart now that she finally understood that he wasn't in love with Angela anymore. Now it was only their responsibility to make this relationship work and to let it evolve. Their exes weren't a factor at all and only they could stand in the way.

Hodgins opened the button on her blazer and she brought her arms down so he could take it off. She heard the rustling sound of the fabric when it hit the floor and she broke the kiss, but wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him close.

"Upstairs," she requested and he nodded silently and kissed her again. They kissed until they reached the stairs but then realized that they could only stumble clumsily upstairs if they wouldn't let each other go for a moment. Cam tried to step back from him, but he held her close. Questioningly she raised both eyebrows and he responded with a lopsided grin and hoisted her in his arms. She laughed amused and slung her arm around his neck and let him carry her upstairs. He didn't put her down when he reached the top of the stairs but walked with her into his bedroom and threw her on the bed. While he stepped out of his shoes, she kicked off her heels and let them drop to the floor by the bed and then leaned back on her elbows and looked at him. Their eyes locked and they smiled at each other for a moment until she reached out for him and pulled him onto the bed when he took her hand. He traced the contours of her face with his fingers and she let him until she couldn't stand it anymore, leaned up and kissed him. His kiss was passionate from the start and while she unbuttoned his shirt he pulled her blouse out of her skirt and let his hands wander underneath.

"You have no idea how happy I am that you're here again," he muttered between kisses and opened the clasp of her bra.

"Show me," she requested breathlessly- and that he did.

~*~

"I missed you so much," she admitted quietly, later when they were lying in bed together, her head comfortably resting on his chest while he caressed her back with his fingertips.

"I missed you, too," he replied and pressed his lips against her forehead. "Although you were very frustrating," he smiled.

"Me? You're the one who kept making up excuses to unnerve me," she said and looked up to him. He kissed her softly before he replied and wrapped his arms tighter around her.

"I just needed to see you at least, because you kept yourself locked into your office," he said then. "Speaking of which: I know that since you haven't miraculously installed a kitchen in your office, you haven't eaten anything all day. Aren't you hungry?" he asked her.

"I am, but I wanna stay right here," she admitted and rubbed her nose against his chest.

"You need to eat something. Come on, get up, lazy," he smiled and started to tickle her when she didn't move.

"Stop! Stop tickling me," she howled with laughter and because he knew that she was incredibly ticklish he found the right spots to make her laugh even harder.

"You getting up now?" he asked her while he pinned her arms to the mattress above her head.

"Kiss?" she requested.

"When you get up," he told her and let go of her hands. He sat up, picked up his boxers from the floor and slipped them on and then padded into his walk in closet where he picked up a shirt , shorts and socks for her.

"Here you go," he said when he handed her the clothes and watched her while she put his clothes on.

"Happy?" she asked when she stood up from the bed and held out her hands to both sides.

"Very," he nodded, pulled her closer by the waist and kissed her softly. "And now we'll see what we can whip up for a very late dinner.

"Your kitchen is stacked as one in a restaurant, we should be able to find something," she replied and together they walked down the stairs.

"Not anymore. I always ate out these last few weeks, mostly with Angela," he told her.

"Michelle cooked for me mostly and Booth came over a lot. His cooking skills are as good as mine," she grinned. "Is it weird that we spent the time apart mostly with our exes?" she asked then.

"I guess for everyone else it would be, but for us? Not so much," he replied with a smile and let go of her waist to open the fridge and see what was inside. He thought for a moment after he had taken everything in. "What do you say: White mushroom omelet and toast?" he asked and turned his head to face her while he still leaned halfway into the open fridge.

"Sounds good," she nodded and hopped up on "her" spot on the counter where she usually sat while he cooked.

"No, no, no. You're gonna help me this time," he said when he saw her sitting up there and handed her a package with the white mushrooms.

"The time when you're trying to woo me is officially over now, huh?" she laughed and slid off the counter.

"You told me you love me, so I don't need to impress you anymore," he replied and shrugged before he grinned.

"You make me want to think about that again," she snorted.

"No point in that, you've fallen for me, baby," he replied with a cocky smile, wrapped one arm around her waist, kissed her neck and held out a knife in front of her with his other hand. Cam only shook her head and took the knife from him. He kissed her cheek once before he took the other ingredients out of the fridge and started cooking.

"How's Michelle doing?" he asked while he scrambled the eggs and kept an eye on the roasting bacon and onions.

"She's good. Went out on her first real date last weekend," Cam informed him.

"And you're ok with that?" he replied with raised eyebrows.

"I am… ok, I try to be ok with… I hope I'll be ok with it one day," she admitted with a smile.

"Who's the guy?" he wanted to know.

"His name is Perry, he's a senior and also a member of her theater class. I met him when he picked her up and he seemed ok," she said and handed him the cut mushrooms.

"So are they dating now?"

"I'm not sure, but judging by the daily calls I'd say it's only a matter of time," she said and sat back down on the kitchen counter.

"Could you get the plates and two forks?" he asked after she had just sat down.

"Now you're really making me regret ever having admitted anything," she said, rolled her eyes, slid of the counter and did as he had told her which he only commented on by chuckling.

"See, isn't it nice cooking together?" he asked her teasingly when he placed the omelet on the plates.

"I should have stayed in bed," she grumbled but picked up her fork and started eating.

"We can go back to bed once we're done eating," he winked at her.

"If you keep bossing me around I might just go home afterwards," she muttered but he knew that she wasn't really annoyed and just toying with him. They ate in comfortable silence and when he was done Hodgins pushed his plate away from him and leaned back in his stool.

"I know I told you before, but I'm really happy that we're back together. I wasn't doing so well while we were apart," he said then and surprised her because this admission came out of the blue somehow.

"I heard you insulting your subordinates," she nodded and placed her fork on the table beside her plate.

"And you were even bossier than usual. People were actually ducking behind their desks when you came in," he replied.

"I am not bossy," she protested although she knew he was right.

"Oh come on! There's a reason why everyone is calling you an HBIC," he laughed, stood up and placed their plates in the sink.

"They call me what?" she asked and turned around in her stool so she could see him.

"HBIC, but only behind your back," he grinned and walked slowly back to her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked and raised one eyebrow.

"HBIC means 'Head bitch in charge'," he grinned even wider and stepped in between her legs and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I have to admit that I kind of like that nickname," she nodded with a smile and cocked her head to the side.

"Thought so," he grinned, pulled her closer to him and kissed her deeply.

"Can we go back to bed now?" she asked when she broke the kiss only to start nibbling on the side of his neck. Suddenly she stopped though and yawned, which made him laugh.

"You didn't sleep too well either these last few weeks, huh?" he asked and hugged her to him and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I barely slept at all," she admitted and slung her arms around his neck.

"Maybe we should really go to bed now and just sleep. I could use some hours of uninterrupted sleep as well," he said and pulled her off the chair.

"Can't you carry me upstairs?" she asked when he tried to untangle from her so they could go upstairs.

"Remember the woo-ing time is over," he smiled, turned her around and pushed her forward by her hips.

~*~

The next morning they both woke up with a groan because Hodgins alarm clock was ringing and the blinds were opening; just as he had programmed them. Cam who was facing the windows turned around and hid her face in his chest. Sleepily he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck with his nose.

"What do you think about calling in sick today?" he asked quietly.

"Can't, too much work," she mumbled and then suddenly sat up. "What time is it?" she asked panicked.

"Quarter to seven," he replied after rolling to his side and checking his alarm clock.

"Shit, we have to hurry, we still need to stop by my apartment," she said, jumped out of bed and started to frantically pick up her clothes off the floor and then hurried into the bathroom. He only shook his head and was surprised when he heard her switch on the shower. He thought about joining her for a second but knew she'd kill him if he even tried. Breakfast wouldn't be welcome either so he slowly got out of bed, fetched some clothes out of his closet and made his way to the guest bathroom on the other side of the hallway so he could shower, shave and brush his teeth.

"Jack?" he heard her call twenty minutes later while he was cleaning up the kitchen and washing the dishes from the night before.

"Kitchen," he replied and dried his hands on a towel. "You're done already?" he asked skeptically.

"Don't have the time to wash my hair today," she replied and sounded a bit breathless. "Can we go?" she asked and tried to slip on her heels. He walked over to her and held out one hand to steady her which she took.

"Now we can go," he said after he had kissed her and she had both shoes on.

"Let's hurry, we're gonna be late already," she demanded and pulled him towards the front door by his hand.

~*~

"So, you want me to wait another ten minutes here and then follow you or can we really go in together?" he asked her another hour later when he pulled up to the Jeffersonian and drove down into the underground parking space.

"If you won't stop teasing me, Hodgins, I'll find so much work for you today that you won't even have time to _think _about coming to my office," she replied with an overly sweet smile, the very one she had given him when he had called her a wanktard back then.

"Just wanted to make sure," he shrugged with a grin, took her left hand and kissed it before they got out of the car. "You know, I haven't been scared of you for a long time now and your threats are even less scary when I know I can just kiss you to shut you up," he said, locked the car and waited until she walked up to him so he could wrap his arm around her waist.

"Hey, I have one request though," she said and sounded serious this time.

"What?" he asked and held the door to the stairs open for her.

"I don't mind people at the Jeffersonian knowing about us, but I am still the boss at the lab and I need to behave that way, otherwise I lose my stand. So…" she said and raised both eyebrows.

"No making out at the lab, no indiscrete comments and no declarations of love in front of the others, I get it," he said and nodded.

"It's not that I don't want you to touch me, but…" she said and he interrupted her this time.

"I get it, don't worry," he said seriously and kissed her softly before he pushed the door to the Institute open and let the arm, which had been wrapped around her waist, fall to his side.

"Good morning Jerry," she greeted the security guard at the entrance and Hodgins nodded while the man shot him a knowing smile and nodded back.

"You're free for lunch today?" he asked her and switched his card through the door opener to the lab.

"I think so. Booth might stop by though. He has another doctor's appointment today and he said that if he's done on time we could go to diner," she replied and walked beside him to his work station.

"So you want me to come along," he summed up her sentence.

"Yah," she nodded and smiled.

"Ok, then I'll see you later, Dr. Saroyan," he teased her and put his bag down on his table.

"See you later Dr. Hodgins," she smiled back. "Oh, and I finished those samples last night. I'll have the cloth brought back to you as soon as possible. The reports might take a while though; I still need to finish the autopsy reports," she informed him.

"If I'm not too busy I might get the sample myself," he grinned, knowing that now he had an excuse to see her at her office. She just grinned and winked at him before she turned around and walked to her office and he watched her until she closed the door behind her.

~*~

When Hodgins walked into Cam's office around noon he found that not only Booth was there but Angela and the intern Clark Edison as well.

"We're all here now, so let's boogie, I'm hungry," Booth said and clapped his hands when he got off Cam's couch.

"You just had a donut," Cam said, referring to the one he'd been eating when he had come to her office ten minutes before.

"Yeah, because I'm hungry," he grinned and followed the squints out of the lab.

"The saliva you found, Dr. Saroyan, it was from a female, right?" Clark asked her then.

"Yes, why?" she asked and quickly walked through the Jeffersonian's entrance door while Booth still held it open for the others.

"Because while the pelvis is female all of the other bones suggest that the person is male. The pelvis doesn't fit the rest of the bones," he told her.

"That's strange, but also explains why the soil I found sticking to the pelvis wasn't matching the soil around the other bones, not that there was too much," Hodgins added and wrinkled his forehead. Unnoticed by Mr. Edison he also wrapped one arm around Cam's waist, knowing that now that they were out of the Institute and only around people who would know anyway, she most likely wouldn't have a problem with it. He was right and relieved when Cam also wrapped an arm around his middle. While Clark, who was walking on the left side of Cam, was oblivious to it, Booth and Angela, who walked behind the three others now, noticed immediately. While Booth grinned, relieved that Cam and Hodgins had obviously been able to work it out, Angela smiled as well, but it was a pained smile. When she saw how comfortable these two seemed to be with each other and how naturally Hodgins wrapped his arm around Cam, she knew that she had lost him for good.

"Why didn't you inform me about this?" Cam asked him.

"I just finished the last analysis before I came to your office. I figured I'd just show you later, since it might take a while to find the reason for it," he shrugged.

"Any ideas?" she asked and turned to Clark.

"Maybe. Either someone switched the pelvis of this limbo case with another or the pelvis was switched before the bones were discovered," he replied.

"I like the first one," Hodgins grinned and Cam rolled her eyes, knowing that all kinds of conspiracy theories were already forming in his head. They had reached the diner and Clark was the first one to enter so he held the door open for the others this time. When Cam and Hodgins walked through the door his jaw nearly dropped to the floor, because he finally noticed that they had their arms wrapped around each other. He let the door fall shut behind Booth and when he sat down across from Cam, he just couldn't help himself.

"Not you, too! I thought you were on my side," he told Cam in a whiny tone.

"Sorry," Cam told him in a loud whisper and looked apologetically at him while Hodgins laughed out loud, before he kissed Cam, right in front of the others.

"Jealous, lover- boy?" Angela teased the poor intern suggestively and moved her chair closer to his. Clark moved his chair farther away from Angela's, picked up the menu and pointedly started reading it, while Booth only laughed quietly at the scenario playing right in front of him.

"Did you hear anything from Brennan?" Cam asked both Angela and Booth then.

"She sent an email last night saying that she's all right but that the electricity keeps going out and the internet connection is crap. She also wrote some stuff about the bones she found but I didn't get half of it," Booth replied.

"She seems to be pretty busy," Angela added.

"Did you ever go on a trip like that, you know, work abroad?" Hodgins asked Cam then.

"No. There are enough dead bodies for me to autopsy right here. Also I appreciate having clean running water and a normal bathroom," she replied.

"Don't I know it," Hodgins started to laugh which brought him a death stare, but he deactivated it with another peck.

"I really should quit," Clark commented on the kiss, frustrated.

"Again, Mr. Edison?" Cam just teased and before he could reply the waitress reached their table to take their orders. "No coffee for you, Booth," Cam said when he opened his mouth to order.

"Why?" he asked unnerved.

"Because the doctors said you're not even supposed to have coffee at the moment and still you drank one when you came to my office. So I guess you won't get your daily diner coffee today," she told him.

"Yes, mommy Camille," he replied sarcastically and then ordered a burger and a soda and the others followed suit.

"Michelle called me mom about two weeks ago," Cam said when the waitress left again.

"Really? That's great," Angela said enthusiastically.

"Actually, I don't know," Cam admitted.

"Why?" Angela asked confused.

"When she was a little kid and she called me mom I felt so honored, also because I loved her like she really was my daughter. But since I got her back, we tried to establish a kind of friendship at least. I mean, I love it when she calls me mom, although it makes me feel really old, but at the same time I'm wondering if maybe the friendship thing failed and she sees me more as an authority," Cam replied.

"Were you two fighting when she called you mom?" Hodgins asked her and his blue eyes looked interested at her.

"No, we weren't. Not at all," she said and when he nodded slowly while still reading her eyes she knew that he had an idea at least in what kind of moment Michelle had called her mom.

"I wouldn't worry. I guess it was just her way to tell you that she loves you," he replied and Cam could see Booth nod and he knew exactly when it had happened because she had told him.

"The bones I examined today had strange stress fractures on both wrists," Clark said before anyone else could say anything and the others just laughed.

"Nice try," Hodgins grinned and laced his fingers through Cam's on top of the table.

"How did Michelle's date go?" Angela asked then and tried not to stare at their joined hands. Clark groaned at her question while the others curiously looked at Cam and listened to her answer. The poor intern was only relieved when the waitress came a while later with the food and the drinks.

~*~

"Hey, look at this," Hodgins said later that day when stormed into Cam's office without knocking and the intern Clark Edison followed him cautiously, knowing that one should knock and wait for a reply when one entered Dr. Saroyan's office.

"Hodgins," she just sighed and rolled her eyes, knowing that he wouldn't listen to her anyway. He had made a habit of just waltzing into her office before their break up, so now that they had a more official status he sure wouldn't start knocking. He went even further this day and took the mouse out of her hand, saved and closed what she had been working on and then opened some files. "What is that?" she asked and decided to wait with her lecture until she could send Clark out of the room.

"This is the registration sheet for the Jane Doe we are working on, or should I say John Doe? According to this file the person is male and was found with only a watch. Now the pelvis is female and there's clothing in the box," he said and sounded excited.

"We randomly searched through several boxes in the same area of limbo and found that the content of many boxes doesn't fit the registration forms anymore," Clark added.

"Oh my god, tell me that's not true," Cam groaned and leaned back in her chair and covered her face with her hands for a second.

"Afraid so," Hodgins replied.

"When was the last time someone officially opened the boxes?" Cam asked more herself than the two men and Hodgins again opened some file on her PC and miraculously typed in her password when he needed a higher security clearance. Only when he had entered it did he remember that he wasn't even supposed to know this password and he froze, then quickly put on his charm smile. "We will so talk about this later," she said darkly and tried to ignore his smile. Before she cracked and smiled back she quickly turned her attention to the screen and together with Hodgins and Clark read through the files.

"So the last time was when one of the search teams during the Gormogon case opened the boxes, looking for those bones," Clark summed up what they read.

"And it seems like one of the teams wasn't as careful putting back the bones into the boxes than searching for those Gormogon bones," Hodgins said and stood back up.

"Why? Why me? Why do we have to discover this when Dr. Brennan isn't here?" Cam asked desperately and leaned her arms against the desk and let her head hang down. Hodgins smiled sympathetically, placed a hand on her neck and slowly massaged her.

"Let me know when you know what we'll do," Clark said hurriedly and fled out of Cam's office because of the intimacy. That made both Cam and Hodgins laugh and Cam finally looked up again and twirled around on her chair to face him.

"First things first," she said, stood up and crossed her arms in front of her chest which made him take a step back. "Why do you know my password? And why do you use it?" she asked him.

"I, uhm, the...uh...," he stuttered and gesticulated widely with his arms. "Booth," he said finally.

"Booth?" she asked not really understanding what he was getting at.

"Booth knows your password and Dr. Brennan's and when we needed some info he used yours to get it. I saw him typing it," he explained. "But I never used it until today," he hurried to add when her expression didn't change.

"I will change my password later today and if I see you ever use another password than your own, ever again, I will fire you. You understand me?" she said and took a step towards him. When he quickly nodded she took another step towards him, uncrossed her arms, wrapped them around his waist and let her head drop to his shoulder. "I think we have to call in all interns, let them look through all limbo boxes and sort the bones. I just hope we'll be able to do it," she mumbled against his shoulder.

"I doubt that more than one team dared to just throw some bones into the boxes. If we find out which team it was and with which boxes they worked we might not have to go through everything," he advised and she nodded and then stepped back from him.

"I'll go and see what I can find out and you go and help Clark with the stuff you found so far," she decided then.

"Guess that means no date tonight?" he asked.

"I guess not," she said dully and shook her head.

"At least we'll go home together, whenever that will be," he said and tried to find something positive while he wrapped his arms around her.

"My place tonight? I want to check on Michelle," she replied and he nodded, placed a peck on her lips and then left her office to get some work done. The sooner they were done the sooner they could go home.

~*~

One evening wasn't nearly enough to rectify the chaos that one team of students had caused back then and all in all it took them two weeks until every bone was back in the box it belonged. Cam had called in all of Brennan's interns and they had needed to work together under the lead of Hodgins to re-assemble the skeletons. For Cam it was more administrational work because she couldn't really help them with the bones or the dirt, but Hodgins needed to stay more than once until the middle of the night so the work would get done. The first few nights Cam had just waited for him in her office and had worked late as well, but when Michelle started to complain she knew that she couldn't keep it up. The only solution that had made sense had been to give Hodgins a key to her apartment so he could come over when he was done. So every night for over a week he came home to her, tiptoed to her bedroom, undressed and slid under the covers. Sometimes she was still awake and they would talk or make love but other times she was already asleep and snuggled up to him in her sleep.

During those two weeks of unequal workloads they were still able to find their rhythm again. This time it was Cam though who looked out for Hodgins and made sure that he ate something in the evenings. It was her who stopped by at his workstation simply to see him and Hodgins enjoyed that. He liked that she cared about him just as much as he cared about her.

Two days before Brennan came back they were finally able to finish their work and all agreed that she didn't need to know about this.

"Dr. Brennan, would you care to hug?" Cam asked her when she saw Brennan enter the lab with her baggage. She still held the final report of the sorting process in hands, a report that Brennan hopefully would never see otherwise she would most likely throw all of her students out of her university classes. Cam was glad that Brennan was back, not only because they would get more interesting cases at the lab again but also because she knew that Booth missed her.

"Why?" Brennan asked in her usual stand-offish manner, but Cam didn't take it personally.

"Okay, I'm good with that. Welcome home" she replied with a smile.

"Thank you. What did Booth do while I was gone? Solve boring, normal murders?" Brennan asked and Cam was glad that the anthropologist was more interested in Booth and her work than in the private life of her colleagues. She was sure that Booth or Angela had told her what was going on between her and Hodgins but wasn't really fond of learning what she thought about it.

"He hasn't been reinstated yet," she replied while she walked beside Brennan through the lab in the direction of her office.

"The doctors told me that he'd be fine in a couple of days that's why I went," Brennan replied worriedly. Cam knew it wasn't really her job to talk about Booth's ongoing confusion and decided to just ignore that.

"Sweets is examining Booth today, fingers crossed," she said and held her crossed fingers up when she saw Hodgins hurrying towards them. He winked at her from afar and then hugged Brennan without asking while Cam hurried off before the anthropologist could ask more work-related questions. Or maybe even private ones.

"I'm happy to see you, too" Brennan said while Hodgins still hugged her and patted his shoulder awkwardly.

"Oh, I'm happy personally and professionally. You know unsolved murder have gone up a thousand percent since you left," he said unscientifically.

"I find that hard to believe," Brennan told him and wrinkled her forehead in confusion before she made her way to her office and left him standing there.

"Rough estimate," he said and added louder "Welcome back" which she answered with a "Thank you" and entered her office. He turned around and made his way into Cam's office where he found her working on her computer. He closed the door behind him and sat down on her couch and held one hand out in her direction.

"Everything back to normal," he sighed happily when she sat down beside him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him.

"Thank god," she sighed and nuzzled her nose against his neck.

"What do you think: We'll finally go on that back together date tonight?" he asked her then.

"Absolutely," she nodded and smiled brightly up at him. "That is if Booth and Brennan don't stumble over a dead body on their first day," she added.

"True. Never a dull moment here at the lab," he nodded with a smile and she kissed him in agreement....

**...The end.**


	11. The Sequel

Hi Guys

No, this is not another chapter, at least not here. I saw that some of you are still getting alerts for this story and so I thought I could point you in the direction as to where you can find more. Never a dull moment has a sequel. It's called "525600 moments". Click on my profile and you'll find it there. With the new story "Dirty moments will be updated as well... Hope I'll see you there!


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